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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of mistakes
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Sure, a lot of the mistakes or poor moments in defense can be waved away by recognizing that most of the team’s best defenders were sitting on the bench when the Turks wheeled away in delight with Ayhan’s goal.
—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
The error rate refers to the percentage of SNAP benefits paid either above or below what people should have received, primarily because of mistakes.
—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Tying the hands of mayors in perpetuity and shielding them from accountability for the scourge of guns is not how to respond to one mayor’s mistakes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
The hosts discuss Sorsby as a product of both his own mistakes and opportunistic pearl clutching among college sports leaders.
—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
25 June 2026
Agents don’t make singular mistakes.
—
Stu Sjouwerman,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Some mistakes also went viral, creating an embarrassing moment for McDonald's and raising questions about whether the technology was ready for the drive-thru.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
His first goal came in the 13th minute after two critical mistakes by Croatia.
—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
At the same time, Carter (Finn Little) mistakes Oreana's (Natalie Alyn Lind) attention for something more.
—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Over time, these habits become normalized, and the team mistakes low conflict for health.
—
Britton Bloch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.
—
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
When Ava interrupts to bring Deborah her cell phone, Kelly mistakes Ava for Deborah’s girlfriend and has a new understanding of her foe.
—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
The Suns didn’t help themselves with 19 turnovers, mistakes Oklahoma City turned into 34 points.
—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
In a category that often mistakes complexity and aggression for innovation, this kind of approach is surprisingly rare.
—
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2026
Seasonal allergies happen when the immune system mistakes something harmless in the environment, such as pollen, as a danger, setting off reactions and symptoms that can turn spring from a gift into an ordeal.
—
Matt Fuchs,
Scientific American,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
The team's mistakes cost the players early on when Germany scored in the 2nd minute to earn the lead.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Sure, a lot of the mistakes or poor moments in defense can be waved away by recognizing that most of the team’s best defenders were sitting on the bench when the Turks wheeled away in delight with Ayhan’s goal.
—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
The error rate refers to the percentage of SNAP benefits paid either above or below what people should have received, primarily because of mistakes.
—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Tying the hands of mayors in perpetuity and shielding them from accountability for the scourge of guns is not how to respond to one mayor’s mistakes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
The hosts discuss Sorsby as a product of both his own mistakes and opportunistic pearl clutching among college sports leaders.
—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
25 June 2026
Agents don’t make singular mistakes.
—
Stu Sjouwerman,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Some mistakes also went viral, creating an embarrassing moment for McDonald's and raising questions about whether the technology was ready for the drive-thru.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
His first goal came in the 13th minute after two critical mistakes by Croatia.
—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
Verb
In the end, reverence for the likes of Genghis Khan, Hitler, and Attila the Hun mistakes fear for respect, destruction for disruption, and raw terror for true greatness.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
At the same time, Carter (Finn Little) mistakes Oreana's (Natalie Alyn Lind) attention for something more.
—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Over time, these habits become normalized, and the team mistakes low conflict for health.
—
Britton Bloch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.
—
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
When Ava interrupts to bring Deborah her cell phone, Kelly mistakes Ava for Deborah’s girlfriend and has a new understanding of her foe.
—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
The Suns didn’t help themselves with 19 turnovers, mistakes Oklahoma City turned into 34 points.
—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
In a category that often mistakes complexity and aggression for innovation, this kind of approach is surprisingly rare.
—
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2026
Seasonal allergies happen when the immune system mistakes something harmless in the environment, such as pollen, as a danger, setting off reactions and symptoms that can turn spring from a gift into an ordeal.
—
Matt Fuchs,
Scientific American,
15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistakes
Noun
-
Colorado's rally offset a pair of baserunning blunders that ended the eighth.
-
Once again, Towns, who hadn’t gotten into foul trouble in what felt like a basketball eternity, pulled off a series of blunders, picking up two fouls in the game’s opening 62 seconds.
Noun
-
There were four takes of the first song, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, with two being aborted because of technical errors.
-
Such a system could dramatically improve legal research and reduce errors.
Verb
-
That approach fundamentally misunderstands the trajectory of modern medicine.
-
This misunderstands the nature of modern protectorates, such as Palau or the Marshall Islands.
Verb
-
The Profession Has Grown Up in Public Styling carries emotional labour, financial risk, logistical complexity and a degree of trust that the public often underestimates.
-
Andy Sachs starts off as the girl everyone underestimates, then proceeds to survive the highs and lows of working for Runway magazine in The Devil Wears Prada.
Verb
-
But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.
-
If a neighbor or sibling confuses the thread, summarize and invite a decision.
Noun
-
Municipal utilities are largely unregulated, which makes misjudgments in purchasing power contracts a serious risk to local ratepayers.
-
The use of video technology has increased the scrutiny, even though it was never sold as a panacea to the issue of refereeing misjudgments.
Verb
-
But the story misses a scary thing about Big Tech.
-
When a race team misses a shipment, the impact is immediate.
Verb
-
Too often, philanthropy misjudges where the real risk lies.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Mistakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistakes. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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