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
Sabrina Carpenter on Saturday issued an apology on X after mistaking a fan’s Zaghrouta, an Arabic celebration call, with yodeling during her headlining Coachella set on Friday night.
—
Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Cooper is enormous, and there is no mistaking his power.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
American humor has always been a tool for questioning orthodoxy, challenging certainty and keeping people from mistaking their sacred stories for reality.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The result is, at best, a category error; at worst, a moral panic—mistaking architecture for art, and art for authority.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
There’s no mistaking Greece for anywhere else.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Still, there was no mistaking what the night meant.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down a passenger plane, Iran Air flight 655, after mistaking it for a fighter jet.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
Tucked away off Lagos’ Admiralty Way main road, you’d be forgiven for mistaking its polite green exterior for something residential upon viewing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026
Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Cooper is enormous, and there is no mistaking his power.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
American humor has always been a tool for questioning orthodoxy, challenging certainty and keeping people from mistaking their sacred stories for reality.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The result is, at best, a category error; at worst, a moral panic—mistaking architecture for art, and art for authority.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
There’s no mistaking Greece for anywhere else.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Still, there was no mistaking what the night meant.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down a passenger plane, Iran Air flight 655, after mistaking it for a fighter jet.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
Tucked away off Lagos’ Admiralty Way main road, you’d be forgiven for mistaking its polite green exterior for something residential upon viewing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaking
Verb
-
David Schurman Wallace on misunderstanding Gertrude Stein.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
This could be along the lines of a passive-aggressive email or a coworker misunderstanding your tone.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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García also warned that the United States may be underestimating the territorial complexity of the mining zones.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Sometimes that’s totally wrong, because people are overestimating their kids or underestimating Joan Mitchell or whomever.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Neptune also blurs lines, which is why its influence can feel mysterious or even confusing at times.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not all that’s confusing across the first season.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Susan Butts Tiffani McInnis endured the typical teenage growing pains under the shadow of her mother's missing person investigation.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The remains of one of his two daughters were still missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday, three days after the attacks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Overpaying for early acquisitions, misjudging theatrical performance, or relying on complex financing structures can all compound quickly in a market with thin margins and unpredictable returns.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
-
The Beauty is about wanting to nip and tuck ourselves into better versions, but conflating that desire with actual scientific research is odd.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Mistaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaking. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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