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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mistake
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Yet the claim that our public-health mistakes can be pinned on some special force called groupthink is both unhelpful and misguided.
—David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
But when one of them steps out, there’s no mistaking it.
—Will Brantley, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
One recurring theme with these losses are mindless mistakes by various culprits.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Yet the claim that our public-health mistakes can be pinned on some special force called groupthink is both unhelpful and misguided.
—David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Bats may mistake reflective turbine blades for the brightness of open skies.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
But when one of them steps out, there’s no mistaking it.
—Will Brantley, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
Noun
-
The post 9/11 blunders in which Cheney played a part can be tied to the rise of ISIS, perennial instability in the Middle East, the migrant crisis and the crushing debt burden ($38 trillion and counting) that looms over the US economy.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The defence remains porous, error-prone and vulnerable on corners.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Times’ error immediately garnered write-ups in The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and other outlets.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perception can lead to misunderstanding Perception is how countries view each other’s actions.—
Kaleb Demerew,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Does the music feel lesser or compromised to you, or are the critics being unfair or just misunderstanding the new album?—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Street Legal tour is much underestimated.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Best Wayfair Way Day Decor Deals While now is a good time to stock up on big-ticket items, don’t underestimate how much small changes matter.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Her daughter was confused, and eventually asked Nasser for an explanation as to what had been said.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Torsten Sløk, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, said forecasts of an imminent slowdown have been repeatedly wrong, and the economics profession should start grappling with its track record of misjudgments.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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More concerning for the Seahawks than Macdonald’s misjudgment was the fact that Charbonnet’s run wasn’t close to being successful.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Investigators also noted a paper dinner napkin found near his body and that Antonio used dentures that were missing, per court documents.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Fryderyk Chopin, a 25-year-old composer and darling of the Parisian elite, does not miss a single important event in the country.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After months marked by corruption, violence, and the open perversion of law, to gasp in outrage at the loss of a few tons of masonry and mortar might seem oddly misjudged.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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On one occasion, a blunt-nosed viper misjudged the distance to its prey.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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