1
as in misunderstanding
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in underestimating
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confusing
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 mistaking
On the football field, there is no mistaking New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
For the past 40 years, Boise State football’s blue turf has drawn jokes and jabs, and there has been that urban myth about how all manner of birds were mistaking the field for a giant pond, resulting in their crashing-landing like a quarterback taking a big hit from a charging linebacker.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 June 2026
Conventional ways of leading, based on the ego mistaking itself as separate, tend to consolidate power and resources around the most power-savvy egos.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
No one’s mistaking this for My Left Foot.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
But there was no mistaking the defense emphasis, which was needed.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 27 May 2026
And mistaking one for the other is another legacy of how the Cold War foreshortened the humanistic possibilities of the intellectual revolution of the past eighty years—a revolution that has, miraculously, allowed people to communicate with machines using human languages.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
There’s no mistaking the stark change in the chip’s packaging.
—Yuri Kageyama, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
For the past 40 years, Boise State football’s blue turf has drawn jokes and jabs, and there has been that urban myth about how all manner of birds were mistaking the field for a giant pond, resulting in their crashing-landing like a quarterback taking a big hit from a charging linebacker.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 June 2026
Conventional ways of leading, based on the ego mistaking itself as separate, tend to consolidate power and resources around the most power-savvy egos.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
No one’s mistaking this for My Left Foot.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
But there was no mistaking the defense emphasis, which was needed.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 27 May 2026
And mistaking one for the other is another legacy of how the Cold War foreshortened the humanistic possibilities of the intellectual revolution of the past eighty years—a revolution that has, miraculously, allowed people to communicate with machines using human languages.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
There’s no mistaking the stark change in the chip’s packaging.
—Yuri Kageyama, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaking
Verb
-
Toine says the two most common errors in orchid maintenance result from misunderstanding light and water requirements.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
-
David Schurman Wallace on misunderstanding Gertrude Stein.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The analyst also said that Wall Street is underestimating AWS' capex and revenue growth for fiscal year 2027.—
Sean Conlon,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
-
During disease outbreaks, people often obsess over disinfecting surfaces while underestimating the importance of ventilation, metabolic health, vaccination, sleep or chronic disease management.—
John Samuels,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Relocating a bird's nest is confusing for the parents, dangerous for the eggs, and, in most cases, against the law.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
6 June 2026
-
Since tickets went on sale last year, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the cost of attendance, from confusing (and expensive) ticket prices to high transit costs.—
Joe Murphy,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Germany was missing 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl, ruled out for the World Cup after injuring a thigh in training.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Hooker has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his missing wife.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Rather than collisions caused by surrounding traffic, these incidents involved the vehicle misjudging objects directly in its path.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar hit the barriers after misjudging a chicane.—
Sahil Kapur,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The first is conflating selling with self-promotion.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
-
Don’t make this mistake of conflating style with substance.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaking. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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