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
And on Mondays, owners of franchises desperate to catch up continue to prize familiarity, mistaking their comfort for competence, trusting that stubborn repetition will somehow produce stability.
—
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
There is no mistaking the tragedy of Roper killing his own son for Teddy’s betrayal.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
And the administration appeared to underestimate the power of the blowback, perhaps mistaking the state’s passive aggressive reputation for weakness.
—Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
You’d be forgiven for mistaking them as longtime friends.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 23 Jan. 2026
There’s no mistaking it for anything else, as the grille and parallel headlight elements are distinctly Genesis.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 21 Jan. 2026
Faced with ambiguous leadership choices, decision-makers retreat to familiar metrics and reassuring track records, mistaking backward-looking evidence for forward-looking insight.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
For Western policymakers, mistaking pressure for transformation risks leaving the Islamic Republic bruised but standing.
—Sanam Vakil, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
There is no mistaking the tragedy of Roper killing his own son for Teddy’s betrayal.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
And the administration appeared to underestimate the power of the blowback, perhaps mistaking the state’s passive aggressive reputation for weakness.
—Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
You’d be forgiven for mistaking them as longtime friends.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 23 Jan. 2026
There’s no mistaking it for anything else, as the grille and parallel headlight elements are distinctly Genesis.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 21 Jan. 2026
Faced with ambiguous leadership choices, decision-makers retreat to familiar metrics and reassuring track records, mistaking backward-looking evidence for forward-looking insight.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
For Western policymakers, mistaking pressure for transformation risks leaving the Islamic Republic bruised but standing.
—Sanam Vakil, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaking
Verb
-
Another risk is misunderstanding the premiums tied to silver.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, a formal review of the original data showed the warnings were based on misunderstanding the data.—
Kirstin R.W. Matthews,
STAT,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Strategy to come out on top Still, experts caution against underestimating China’s long-term prospects.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Many workers also misunderstand Social Security's role in retirement, either overestimating or underestimating its importance, experts note.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The citizens of Texas are confusing hospitality for complacency.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Registration deadlines, confusing rules and inconsistent access make participation harder at the very moment young people become eligible to vote.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The ad, which centers on a fictional family scouring their community for their missing dog, demonstrates how the Search Party feature activates neighboring Ring home cameras to be used in the search.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Young Heathcliff is missing a tooth, so when Heathcliff returns, Miller worked with prosthetic dental appliance creator Chris Lyons from Fangs Effects in the UK to fill the gap.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By adjusting force in real time, robots may be able to interact more naturally with fragile objects and unpredictable environments without over-gripping, slipping, or misjudging contact.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
-
After big price increases during the pandemic, when vehicles were in short supply, Stellantis kept on going, misjudging how much consumers would be willing to pay, Brauer said.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The report states that a series of conflating issues, such as widespread budget cuts, technological disruption, the dominance of streamers, and economic instability, have caused the feeling of fear and crisis across the industry.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
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Stacy Hawthorne, board chair of the Consortium for School Networking, an association for school technology officials that signed the letter, is concerned that some are conflating social media, which can cause problems for children, with technology more broadly, which can help students learn.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaking. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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