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
Canons of literature were curated by gatekeepers who mistook their vantage point for universality.
—
The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Experts in Italy accidentally mistook a three for an eight, and misdated an important, 14th-century Madonna and Child painting, now up for auction.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
All of this comes after reports on how Kate Middleton once had a pretty funny response after someone mistook her for Prince William’s assistant.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 June 2026
Alvarez, 41, was in MacArthur Park on May 18 when he was approached by two police officers, who initially mistook him as the suspect in a vehicle theft, according to a Justice Department news release and a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the Central District of California.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Samara Weaving and Margot Robbie bear a striking resemblance to one another—so much so, apparently, that a fan once mistook her for the Barbie actress.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Two years in the making, this unexpected white marble pyramid jutting out of the sand dunes (which locals mistook as a hub for illicit activities during its construction) has significantly raised the culture bar in the area.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
In January 2024, Lola was diagnosed with leukemia after her parents initially mistook bruises appearing across her body for childhood clumsiness.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Recent history is full of businesses that mistook expansion for resilience and discovered too late that scale alone doesn’t fix weak fundamentals.
—Richard McCathron, Fortune, 25 May 2026
The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Experts in Italy accidentally mistook a three for an eight, and misdated an important, 14th-century Madonna and Child painting, now up for auction.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
All of this comes after reports on how Kate Middleton once had a pretty funny response after someone mistook her for Prince William’s assistant.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 June 2026
Alvarez, 41, was in MacArthur Park on May 18 when he was approached by two police officers, who initially mistook him as the suspect in a vehicle theft, according to a Justice Department news release and a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the Central District of California.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Samara Weaving and Margot Robbie bear a striking resemblance to one another—so much so, apparently, that a fan once mistook her for the Barbie actress.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Two years in the making, this unexpected white marble pyramid jutting out of the sand dunes (which locals mistook as a hub for illicit activities during its construction) has significantly raised the culture bar in the area.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
In January 2024, Lola was diagnosed with leukemia after her parents initially mistook bruises appearing across her body for childhood clumsiness.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Recent history is full of businesses that mistook expansion for resilience and discovered too late that scale alone doesn’t fix weak fundamentals.
—Richard McCathron, Fortune, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
-
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
-
Basallo misjudged it, taking an unhurried shuffle up the line, before the ball glanced off his glove and rolled toward the Dodgers dugout.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Others misjudged what customers actually wanted.—
Flavio Maluf,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
MacT’s ability to communicate and his intelligent verbal should not be confused for a soft approach.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Maybe your flight was canceled, your luggage disappeared, you got stranded overseas, missed a cruise departure or learned a hard lesson the hard way.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
-
The consensus seems to be that the Mavs will target a point guard, which makes sense as the Mavs’ current lead guard, Kyrie Irving, is 34 and missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
However, Washington underestimated how much its influence depended on the wider relationship surrounding those transactions.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
Brunson, whose father Rick was on the Knicks during their 1999 Finals run and is now an assistant coach with the team, is a stand-in for the outer-borough striver, underestimated at first glance, but blessed with moxie.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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