mistook

verb

past tense of mistake
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

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2
as in misjudged
to make an incorrect judgment regarding you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily

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3
as in confused
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related she mistook physical attraction for love

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mistook Government officials, executives, and prominent public figures mistook her confidence and ability to perform credibility for evidence that her technology worked. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026 In their petitions, several immigrants said that officers mistook them for the aggressor. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026 Jensen Huang has argued that the doomsayers mistook the task of reading scans for the whole job. — Han Wang, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police. — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 The incident comes about a year after a teenager died in rural Iowa, after he was shot by a fellow hunter who apparently mistook him for a squirrel. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Fans initially mistook the glittery design for a tattoo before identifying it as one of Barrière’s top-selling offerings. — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026 Keeley walked away before realizing that Roy mistook Erin for Keeley. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 As the bat boy sat at a red light, two women pulled up alongside him and mistook him for Byrnes. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
  1. misunderstood
  2. misjudged
  3. confused
  4. missed
  5. underestimated
Verb
  • Reward prediction error reflects a discrepancy in the outcome or goal and, in the NVA system, can indicate that the AI has misunderstood what the person ultimately wanted.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Mangione's attorneys then fired back Monday in a response to the DA's office's letter, saying prosecutors had misunderstood their position.
    — Greg Wehner , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of misunderstood
Verb
  • Some have misjudged the strength of the surface mat, stepping in the wrong place or breaking through into the cold water below.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Jorrel Hato misjudged the flight of the delivery, allowing Belloumi to emphatically half-volley a shot into the bottom corner.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of misjudged
Verb
  • The possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe should not be confused with evidence that extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth, Kirkpatrick said.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Saturday’s opener started with a couple taking an amusement park ride, only to be confused by Pumpkins’ appearance in what was supposed to be a scary attraction.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • But Knueppel suffered a hamstring injury during offseason workouts and missed the preseason.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The menu leans into crowd-pleasing seafood and vegetable-forward dishes, but pastas and hearty mains like a pork belly with roasted new potato and pane carasau cannot be missed.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of missed
Verb
  • Given past polling errors in Texas that underestimated the Republican vote, there's a healthy skepticism that Democrat James Talarico's margin of error lead in polling averages is enough to win.
    — Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
  • While Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign had long made social media a central part of its strategy, Lula’s team underestimated its importance, according to Lucas Fernandes, a political analyst at BMJ Consultores Associados.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of underestimated

Browse Nearby Words

mistitling
mistook
mistranslate
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Cite this Entry

“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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