1
as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
you can expect to make some amusing gaffs until you get more familiar with the language
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blunder
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
double-check the new writer's grammar, as it's typically riddled with gaffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
a sleazy schemer who gaffed gullible people into thinking they could get rich with a money-making opportunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the operators of the traveling carnival had gaffed patrons with a variety of time-honored ruses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaff
Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 7 Aug. 2024
Dana Taylor: How can people determine the difference between just a normal gaff and when there's actually something wrong?
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Sunday's cartoons - airline safety, teleprompter gaffs, and more
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By The Week US
published April 28, 2024
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber.
—The Week Us, theweek, 28 Apr. 2024
Despite the gaff, Redmaye is still hoping to sneak his son and daughter into the August Wilson Theatre in New York City to see his opening number.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for gaff
Noun
Some of the gear commonly used for technical climbing, like gaffs—steel spikes worn on the legs for added grip on the tree trunk when cutting branches—can also cause inadvertent damage to the tallest trees.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 7 Aug. 2024
Dana Taylor: How can people determine the difference between just a normal gaff and when there's actually something wrong?
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Sunday's cartoons - airline safety, teleprompter gaffs, and more
Newsletter sign up
By The Week US
published April 28, 2024
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber.
—The Week Us, theweek, 28 Apr. 2024
Despite the gaff, Redmaye is still hoping to sneak his son and daughter into the August Wilson Theatre in New York City to see his opening number.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for gaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaff
Noun
-
Treating it like a cause-and-effect explanation mistakes the scoreboard for the game.—
Alexander William Salter,
National Review,
9 May 2025
-
Now in the context of the very obvious dropping of moral guardrails around international relations, other countries will be less bound by a sense of world order, emboldened by an arms race, and will start to take risks and make mistakes.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Be equipped to answer this when delivering bad news by understanding the root cause of the blunder.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
All the evidence points to various blunders, assumptions, policies, choices and unlucky circumstances that led to the tragedy.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The latest attacks follow recent patterns, mimicking Google’s own support to trick users into giving up credentials.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
-
Elsewhere in the film, the Irish vampire Remmick, pursued by Choctaw vampire hunters, tricks his way into the protection of a pair of Klan members living near Clarksdale and turns them into creatures of the night.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Disgruntled attendees, many of them authors, said they felt cheated by event organizers, who failed to deliver on most, if not all fronts.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
-
In their stories about others, 92% chronicled how misfortune befell cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies and lousy coworkers.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
Last month, the Campaign Finance Board denied Cuomo’s request for nearly $3 million in public matching funds due to paperwork errors.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2025
-
The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Rather than get stuck in or fooled by the appearance of things, this principle reminded us to sense their energetic underpinnings, such as clarity and intention.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
Don’t be fooled by the context of what is said: the basis for the drama is jealousy and control.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
That play — not even a full turnover, mind you — is what stings a full year later.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
Malone, who gets Mincemeat’s best song, still looks like a favorite in his category, and Mincemeat did get recognition for its score (written by three of its stars, members of the same comedy troupe), but the lack of enthusiasm elsewhere must sting.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
Still, the contribution was widely viewed internally as a gaffe and has not served the anchor well over his longer tenure at ABC.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Parents have until May 13 to cast their ballots, though the city’s school system could extend that deadline if the gaffes persist.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaff. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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