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
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
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
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
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
-
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
-
Toine says the two most common errors in orchid maintenance result from misunderstanding light and water requirements.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Some oil veterans worry the market, lulled by these workarounds, is underestimating the real-world impact.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
But Orlando Bravo, founder and managing partner of Thoma Bravo, told CNBC that saying investors are underestimating software companies' ability to adapt.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Cancers can release this protein into the tumor microenvironment, where the molecule attaches to the T cells and change their ability to communicate with other cells, confusing the T cells and restricting their ability to survive and kill cancer.—
Charles J. Dimitroff,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
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While the numbers, nutrients, and ingredient lists may seem confusing at first, learning how to read nutrition labels can tell you a lot about what’s actually in the food.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Ohtani returned to the lineup for the Dodgers’ 7-1 win against the White Sox, after exiting the game Thursday at Pittsburgh and missing Friday‘s game because of inflammation in his left knee.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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Police responded to the theft on Friday night, and while footwear was among the items stolen, none of the missing equipment was considered essential for the team to play.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
14 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
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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
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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 15 Jun. 2026.
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