1
as in blunder
a wrong judgment
they made a mistake when they thought the young pitcher was ready to be called up to the major leagues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in error
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
made a mistake on the exam that almost cost her a passing grade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to misunderstand
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to underestimate
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to confuse
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
she mistook physical attraction for love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistake
Medora Lee, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Taking pride in American independence shouldn’t mean hiding its mistakes, said Ed Stierli, a regional director for the National Parks Conservation Assn.
—Tassanee Vejpongsa, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Yun Li, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
Digging into their Nordic roots, Ida and Filip also built a sauna, which some confused members of the local community initially mistook for a giant bread oven.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
To avoid mistakes, many Americans who usually do their own taxes might consider changing strategies.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Taking pride in American independence shouldn’t mean hiding its mistakes, said Ed Stierli, a regional director for the National Parks Conservation Assn.
—Tassanee Vejpongsa, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Buffett has also repeatedly cautioned shareholders against mistaking volatility for failure.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
Digging into their Nordic roots, Ida and Filip also built a sauna, which some confused members of the local community initially mistook for a giant bread oven.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
Noun
-
The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
That was indicative of how Buffalo’s blunders proved costly.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Medal reallocations have historically surfaced after doping or other cheating cases, but Chiles’ dispute centered on an apparent error by the International Gymnastics Federation, the sport’s governing body.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Elevated prices though have narrowed the margin for error.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Having built multibillion-dollar companies, often at a young age, their self-confidence frequently leads them to underestimate the complexities of public policy, to misunderstand public opinion, and to overestimate their ability to push large changes through quickly.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Still, women misunderstand symptoms, feel uncertain, and face an identity shift, according to a survey exclusively obtained by Flow Space.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even seasoned travelers underestimate how quickly streaming and Bluetooth drain a phone or tablet at 35,000 feet.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The next time new science reveals that a chemical is much more toxic, or that the amount of pollution released from a factory had been underestimated and would cause legally unacceptable health risks, the agency would not be able to react.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Transparency Without Predictability Feels Like an Excuse Don’t confuse transparency with honesty.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Last summer, Noemi Rios of Dallas started the grassroots organization Vecinos Unidos to advise immigrants of their rights and to identify people who may be confused by or scared of the system.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ullrich stresses the role of tactical mistakes and misjudgments, not least by the far left, which shortsightedly refused to compromise its beliefs and join with more moderate groups to oppose democratic backsliding.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
-
That one colossal misjudgment undermines our belief in Ella’s principled intelligence.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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De Ligt played 42 times for United last season and 90 minutes in each of United’s first 13 league games this season, but has missed the last 11 matches due to a back injury.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Obviously her life is very different from Claire, but did Kate Hudson relate to feeling undervalued or misjudged?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Haaland missed two chances in the first half, while Foden misjudged two big openings late on, failing to execute a simple low ball across to Haaland and then opting for a difficult through ball to the Norwegian rather than spotting the free man Cherki on his right.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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