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
According to Fox 35, deputies mistook Vasquez for their suspect due to a one-letter difference in the spelling of their last names.
—
Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
The children were accidentally napalmed by South Vietnamese pilots who mistook a group of fleeing villagers for Viet Cong.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
The people who chased and shot at former Denver Broncos player Josh Reynolds and his two friends last year mistook the trio for people who’d used counterfeit money to purchase $250,000 worth of cocaine in an earlier drug deal, according to court records.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
David Forman, deputy commandant of midshipmen, a midshipman who mistook authorized law enforcement as a threat engaged and was injured in the process.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The lenses were so long and the cameras so far back, in fact, that on occasion the local police mistook the film’s action for the real thing.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Phoenix police detained a man after National Guard members mistook him for bringing unexploded ordnance to the Papago Park Military Reservation for disposal as a bomb threat.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The fruit tree likely got its name from early Europeans in North America, who mistook the pawpaw for the unrelated but similar-looking papaya, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
Last year, the internet mistook an offhand remark Fox made on TikTok as a coming-out declaration of lesbianism.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 2025
Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
The children were accidentally napalmed by South Vietnamese pilots who mistook a group of fleeing villagers for Viet Cong.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
The people who chased and shot at former Denver Broncos player Josh Reynolds and his two friends last year mistook the trio for people who’d used counterfeit money to purchase $250,000 worth of cocaine in an earlier drug deal, according to court records.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
David Forman, deputy commandant of midshipmen, a midshipman who mistook authorized law enforcement as a threat engaged and was injured in the process.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The lenses were so long and the cameras so far back, in fact, that on occasion the local police mistook the film’s action for the real thing.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Phoenix police detained a man after National Guard members mistook him for bringing unexploded ordnance to the Papago Park Military Reservation for disposal as a bomb threat.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The fruit tree likely got its name from early Europeans in North America, who mistook the pawpaw for the unrelated but similar-looking papaya, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
Last year, the internet mistook an offhand remark Fox made on TikTok as a coming-out declaration of lesbianism.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
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Germany's Bild newspaper reported on Saturday that Witkoff had misunderstood Russia's position on a ceasefire deal, taking Putin's demands for Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as an offer for Moscow to pull troops from the two regions.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Williams surrendered two runs, though the first wasn’t really his fault, as Martínez misjudged a ball in center field, resulting in a double.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Emirati leaders’ response, marked by swift condemnations and the prompt visit of a historically high-ranking delegation to Doha, indicate that Israel’s government seriously misjudged the situation.—
Monica Marks,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By bridging cutting-edge research with accessible, actionable advice, this book fills a critical gap in the menopause conversation — one that has left millions of women confused, underserved and unheard.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Arthur’s confused by his brother’s anger.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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People who missed their hearings could be denied asylum, leaving them vulnerable to deportation.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
29 Sep. 2025
-
What might fans have missed last week?—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Flood damage is almost never covered by traditional homeowners’ insurance policies, and your risk may be underestimated according to official government flood zone maps.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
However, fall is not to be underestimated.—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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