as in incorrectly
in a mistaken or inappropriate way
we mistakenly thought that this was our conference room
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Recent Examples of mistakenly
The stinger on the scene, where Katie flees and Greg mistakenly gets caught peeping on two girls smooching, is good for some giggles.
—
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
In 1988, the US navy mistakenly shot down an Iranian passenger jet in the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people on board.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Mar. 2026
Investigators say the contamination happened when a valve was mistakenly left open, allowing diesel fuel to flow into a regular gasoline storage tank.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The contamination of hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel sold to consumers across the Denver metro in January happened because employees at a fuel distribution site mistakenly left a valve open, state investigators found.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
That’s how the US central bank reacted to the steep tariff hikes last year, as well as — in retrospect mistakenly — to the initial jump in consumer prices in 2021.
—Chris Anstey, Bloomberg, 6 Mar. 2026
In Kuwait, meanwhile, three US jets were mistakenly shot down by the Gulf country’s air defenses, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, adding the cause of the incident is under investigation.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American warplanes over its skies.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American fighter jets in combat.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
In 1988, the US navy mistakenly shot down an Iranian passenger jet in the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people on board.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Mar. 2026
Investigators say the contamination happened when a valve was mistakenly left open, allowing diesel fuel to flow into a regular gasoline storage tank.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The contamination of hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel sold to consumers across the Denver metro in January happened because employees at a fuel distribution site mistakenly left a valve open, state investigators found.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
That’s how the US central bank reacted to the steep tariff hikes last year, as well as — in retrospect mistakenly — to the initial jump in consumer prices in 2021.
—Chris Anstey, Bloomberg, 6 Mar. 2026
In Kuwait, meanwhile, three US jets were mistakenly shot down by the Gulf country’s air defenses, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, adding the cause of the incident is under investigation.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American warplanes over its skies.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American fighter jets in combat.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistakenly
Adverb
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Dietary supplements may not work well or cause unwanted side effects if taken incorrectly.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
10 Mar. 2026
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An earlier version of this story contained a response that incorrectly categorized the Atlanta Hawks’ draft pick situation.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The sheriff’s news release erroneously states Davis has a murder conviction.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Within 24 hours of the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran, ships in the region’s waters found their navigation systems had gone haywire, erroneously indicating that the vessels were at airports, a nuclear power plant and on Iranian land.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistakenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistakenly. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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