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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistakes
Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Around this time, confirming plans (like, say, a first or second date) multiple times and generally being more forgiving if someone makes mistakes is appropriate.
—Annabel Gat, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
The retrograde season is a transformative time, allowing for processing and learning from past mistakes to cleanse for the future.
—Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Sometimes a court gets it right, sometimes a court gets it wrong, but each court is part of a multi-tiered judiciary that has the capacity to correct its own mistakes.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
These are their gardening mistakes to avoid, plus a few suggestions to follow for a stunning landscape.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Claude is not immune from hallucinations and not reliable enough to avoid potentially lethal mistakes, like unintended escalation or mission failure without human judgment, the person said.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Here are six breakfast mistakes that may be working against your heart, plus simple ways to fix them.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 26 Feb. 2026
This can lead to major mistakes that negatively affect the look and feel of your home.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 26 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
No one mistakes him for a devout Christian or a person of faith or morality.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
For someone who mistakes dependency as weakness, relying on someone can signal a loss of autonomy.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The stage is thus set for an Eddington-style standoff, as Hegseth arrives in South Park and immediately mistakes the race for an Antifa uprising.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2025
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
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
Noun
The five to ten years before retirement are some of the most financially complex, but choosing the right financial planner during this stage can help reduce costly mistakes and create a clearer transition plan.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Around this time, confirming plans (like, say, a first or second date) multiple times and generally being more forgiving if someone makes mistakes is appropriate.
—Annabel Gat, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
The retrograde season is a transformative time, allowing for processing and learning from past mistakes to cleanse for the future.
—Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Sometimes a court gets it right, sometimes a court gets it wrong, but each court is part of a multi-tiered judiciary that has the capacity to correct its own mistakes.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
These are their gardening mistakes to avoid, plus a few suggestions to follow for a stunning landscape.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Claude is not immune from hallucinations and not reliable enough to avoid potentially lethal mistakes, like unintended escalation or mission failure without human judgment, the person said.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Here are six breakfast mistakes that may be working against your heart, plus simple ways to fix them.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 26 Feb. 2026
This can lead to major mistakes that negatively affect the look and feel of your home.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
In the end, Gail mistakes Paul for a burglar and sends a mob of angry neighbors after him.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
No one mistakes him for a devout Christian or a person of faith or morality.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
For someone who mistakes dependency as weakness, relying on someone can signal a loss of autonomy.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The stage is thus set for an Eddington-style standoff, as Hegseth arrives in South Park and immediately mistakes the race for an Antifa uprising.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistakes
Noun
-
Overall, those who laughed at their own minor blunders were judged more positively than those who appeared visibly embarrassed.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Sadly, Israel will eventually not be as lucky as Magoo, who always manages to walk away from his blunders unscathed.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The digital freight forward launched an AI agent built to conduct an audit on all past customs entries to identify mistakes and compliance errors, as well as pinpoint entries where duties might have been over or underpaid.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Demand written confirmation of errors.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Treating Pahlavi as a shortcut to stability misunderstands both Iran’s society and the nature of this uprising.—
Jalil Pakray,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Flight also suggests the report fundamentally misunderstands macroeconomic fundamentals.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The problem is that this comparison often oversimplifies what Social Security actually is and underestimates how much risk and leverage already exist in today’s financial markets.—
Bruce Helmer,
Twin Cities,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Liwag added that current consensus underestimates GE Aerospace’s long-term free cash flow and earnings power, with further upside possible from multiple expansion and earnings revision.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If the concept confuses, check out their podcast.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Feb. 2026
-
No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.—
Noosheen Hashemi,
Time,
26 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
-
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
-
Gophers assistant coach Brian Cooley, who joined Medved’s staff at Colorado State in 2021, said their standard is to play fast on offense, particularly after opponent misses and turnovers.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
-
That question misses the point.—
Jason Haber,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
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 6 Mar. 2026.
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