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
His wizened next-door neighbors (Mary Woodvine and Adrian Rawlins) are younger, mistaking him for their son Luke, a former crew member of the Rose of Nevada who died by suicide.
—
Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Thankfully, Leviticus has a good grasp on how to leverage this conceit for scares and to score points about the insidiousness of mistaking hatred for salvation.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
That’s when organizations begin mistaking operational momentum for operational stability.
—Doug Shannon, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
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
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
Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Thankfully, Leviticus has a good grasp on how to leverage this conceit for scares and to score points about the insidiousness of mistaking hatred for salvation.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
That’s when organizations begin mistaking operational momentum for operational stability.
—Doug Shannon, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaking
Verb
-
There has already been some backlash to the project, with fans apparently misunderstanding the scope of the technology.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
-
In an article coming tomorrow, Clint Smith explores the betrayal of Black military officers, calling out the forces of reaction for misunderstanding the nature of patriotism.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Citi initiates Figma as buy Citi says the market is underestimating growth.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
That distinction matters because modern entrepreneurship discussions often overemphasize innovation while underestimating execution, timing, leadership, strategy, competitive positioning, and entrepreneurial control.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The most common mistake is confusing more communication with a better signal.—
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation of the alternative medicine industry uncovered a pattern of practitioners across Georgia pushing legal limits on what they’re allowed to do and presenting confusing information about their credentials.—
Carrie Teegardin,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
His one big lament was missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Mexican authorities released missing person flyers for the couple, who lived in Chicago and Oak Park for decades, and moved to Mexico last fall.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
20 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
-
In this case, conflating the disinheritance with his dismissal of you may make the issue seem to be only about money.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
-
But in every era of conflict, some well-meaning moderates have enabled bad-faith censors by conflating confrontational speech with the violence that sometimes answers it.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaking. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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