1
as in blunders
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 errors
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 misunderstands
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in underestimates
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confuses
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 mistakes
Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
The Rattlers again had their chances in set three but couldn’t avoid a bevy of mistakes.
—Tim Meehan Sd, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
In truth, there were many factors behind the fall of the Soviet Union — Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars program and other geopolitical provocations, the drop in oil prices, drastic leadership mistakes like the war in Afghanistan, a misguided alcohol policy, and [Mikhail] Gorbachev’s reforms.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025
This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Other than Van Ginkel, none of those decisions proved to be egregious mistakes, but many hurt the team nonetheless.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
In the meantime, states are racing to prepare their systems for either outcome, warning that delays or mistakes could leave millions of families temporarily without food aid.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Even small mistakes can give attackers access to your accounts.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
My father mistakes it for the verb to bray, like a donkey.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
The film looks like a million bucks, has a high pedigree of talent, and mistakes constant poking for conversation, endless buzzwords for a buffet of food for thought, incendiary hypotheticals for insight.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
When the user clicks that link, the browser mistakes the malicious prompt for an instruction from the user—and begins carrying it out.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 7 Oct. 2025
The extensive embellishment of a score by Bobby Krlic (the English musician who records as the Haxan Cloak), drenched in moody synths and guitar, fits the tone but also adds to the nagging sense that the younger Day-Lewis’ storytelling too often mistakes padding for atmosphere.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Younger Recently divorced and adjusting to life as an empty nester, fortysomething Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) gains a boost of confidence once a 26-year-old tattoo artist mistakes her for someone his age.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
The scene in which Junshik mistakes his family members for lucky strangers would work beautifully in a movie.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Augustus Stonehurst & the Avian Wednesday sends Thing to Willow Hill to look for Stonehurst after Fester mistakes the lunch lady for Lois.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Will Baltimore manage to thwart a Vikings rushing attack that gashed the Lions for 142 yards, cause McCarthy to assume a heavier load than Minnesota’s coaches would like and force the first-year starter into youthful mistakes?
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
The Rattlers again had their chances in set three but couldn’t avoid a bevy of mistakes.
—Tim Meehan Sd, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
In truth, there were many factors behind the fall of the Soviet Union — Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars program and other geopolitical provocations, the drop in oil prices, drastic leadership mistakes like the war in Afghanistan, a misguided alcohol policy, and [Mikhail] Gorbachev’s reforms.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025
This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Other than Van Ginkel, none of those decisions proved to be egregious mistakes, but many hurt the team nonetheless.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
In the meantime, states are racing to prepare their systems for either outcome, warning that delays or mistakes could leave millions of families temporarily without food aid.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Even small mistakes can give attackers access to your accounts.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Her unfinished palace becomes a mirror to a culture that mistakes accumulation for meaning.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
My father mistakes it for the verb to bray, like a donkey.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
The film looks like a million bucks, has a high pedigree of talent, and mistakes constant poking for conversation, endless buzzwords for a buffet of food for thought, incendiary hypotheticals for insight.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
When the user clicks that link, the browser mistakes the malicious prompt for an instruction from the user—and begins carrying it out.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 7 Oct. 2025
The extensive embellishment of a score by Bobby Krlic (the English musician who records as the Haxan Cloak), drenched in moody synths and guitar, fits the tone but also adds to the nagging sense that the younger Day-Lewis’ storytelling too often mistakes padding for atmosphere.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Younger Recently divorced and adjusting to life as an empty nester, fortysomething Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) gains a boost of confidence once a 26-year-old tattoo artist mistakes her for someone his age.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
The scene in which Junshik mistakes his family members for lucky strangers would work beautifully in a movie.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Augustus Stonehurst & the Avian Wednesday sends Thing to Willow Hill to look for Stonehurst after Fester mistakes the lunch lady for Lois.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistakes
Noun
-
The series had so many moments — center fielders trucking left fielders, base-running blunders, walk offs, extra-innings games.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
This season, it is considered a win if the Broncos commit fewer than five blunders a week under Darren Rizzi.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Orlando dominated the home stretch, however, by capitalizing on a string of Celtics errors.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Tied again at 21, the Rattlers had three hitting errors down the stretch.—
Tim Meehan SD,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But to argue that any of this research adds up to a substantial account of intelligence misunderstands the nature of such human traits and what can be expected from scientific explanations of them.—
Eric Turkheimer,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
-
In an amicus brief filed to the Supreme Court, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and 12 other professional bodies argued that characterizing talk therapy as mere speech fundamentally misunderstands its therapeutic use and purpose.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In truth, each side underestimates the relevance of the other’s perspective.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But that underestimates both the level of competition then — being a contemporary of the Big Three is not ideal in that regard — and how few players make the jump from junior prodigy to serial winner.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Longhorns’ roster build confuses me.—
The Athletic College Basketball Staff,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Kayshon Boutte is day-to-day with a hamstring injury, which means New England could push Stefon Diggs outside if Boutte misses any time, allowing Douglas to get more run out of the slot against the Buccaneers this week.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Saito always misses his cats while hiking.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Home designer Allisa Jacobs wrote in a blog post that AI routinely misjudges the proportions and sizes of rooms and furniture, suggesting pieces that wouldn’t realistically fit in the space.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But the Fed just kind of misjudges what's going on and pushes too hard on interest rates and pushes the economy in.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistakes. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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