1
as in misunderstood
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 misjudged
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confused
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 mistook
About 90 minutes after the lockdown took effect, the Naval Academy’s deputy commandant emailed students, telling them that as law enforcement worked to secure the school, a midshipman mistook police for a threat and engaged them, according to the official.
—
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Curtain calls In 1999, a male hippo in rut apparently mistook a passing tractor at a French zoo for a rival and smashed through his enclosure fencing.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Either during or just after that exchange of gunfire, the Vincennes crew mistook a passing civilian Airbus passenger jet for an Iranian F-14 fighter.
—Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2026
The company mistook its own good publicity for mass-market success, Fortune’s Phil Wahba writes.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Cyber Ninjas sometimes mistook routine aspects of the election process as signs of wrongdoing.
—Jen Fifield, ProPublica, 12 Mar. 2026
Hoyas guard Fred Brown mistook Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate and passed the ball right to his opponent.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Curtain calls In 1999, a male hippo in rut apparently mistook a passing tractor at a French zoo for a rival and smashed through his enclosure fencing.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Either during or just after that exchange of gunfire, the Vincennes crew mistook a passing civilian Airbus passenger jet for an Iranian F-14 fighter.
—Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2026
The company mistook its own good publicity for mass-market success, Fortune’s Phil Wahba writes.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Cyber Ninjas sometimes mistook routine aspects of the election process as signs of wrongdoing.
—Jen Fifield, ProPublica, 12 Mar. 2026
Hoyas guard Fred Brown mistook Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate and passed the ball right to his opponent.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
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In response to questions about the Mizuho analyst’s conclusions, Muddy Waters founder Carson Block told Fortune by email that the analyst had misunderstood its findings.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Democratic former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said voters misjudged the race early on.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Perez correctly identified pitches that ump Doug Eddings had misjudged.—
Neil Nakahodo,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Rockets were confused, Durant being a late scratch and their attack being lost without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Several residents say they were left scared and confused as strong winds and heavy rain moved through the area.—
Hannah McIlree,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Maxey missed his final three attempts, and the Celtics held on to win.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Houston survived James’ missed potential winner at the end of regulation after Alperen Şengün couldn’t score on the other end, but overtime felt inevitable — and so did the unraveling.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As a result, too many students with learning differences spend their school years being underestimated, undertaught, and ultimately underprepared.—
Sherri Helvie,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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New research suggests methane emissions have been drastically underestimated in the country’s largest cities.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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