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
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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
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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
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaff
Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
Monday, the frontman, 73, recalled the gaff, explaining that he was sent a tune written by the legendary folk-rock singer during the heyday of Lewis' band, Huey Lewis and the News, but never acted on it.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
But, despite those gaffs, robotics firms pressed on and now several believe their walking machines could work alongside human manufacturing workers in only a few short years.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
That starts with careful gaff placement to avoid ruining meat.
—Tom Fowlks, Outdoor Life, 1 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaff 
Noun
Here are its scariest safety scandals Some fliers are thinking twice as scandals and gaffs pile up
Start Slideshow
The world got an uncomfortable reminder about the need to scrutinize air travel last January when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight 16,000 feet over Portland, Oregon.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
Monday, the frontman, 73, recalled the gaff, explaining that he was sent a tune written by the legendary folk-rock singer during the heyday of Lewis' band, Huey Lewis and the News, but never acted on it.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
But, despite those gaffs, robotics firms pressed on and now several believe their walking machines could work alongside human manufacturing workers in only a few short years.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
That starts with careful gaff placement to avoid ruining meat.
—Tom Fowlks, Outdoor Life, 1 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaff
Noun
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In my experience, companies with strong safety capabilities typically have robust systems and processes that identify risks, are willing and able to learn from mistakes and proactively build resilience against the unexpected.Andreza Araujo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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But getting the technology to follow open-ended commands reliably remains a challenge, with the risk that errors could translate into costly and hard-to-undo mistakes.Will Knight, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Some economists say Fed officials could be making a blunder that risks reigniting inflation and undercutting their pledge to rely on the latest data when making rate decisions.Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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Analysts said Ding made a crucial blunder in the deciding Game 14 that ultimately handed Gukesh the teen the title.Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Scammers are getting better at tricking email users, that much is as clear as the Apple logo and typography in Polderman’s video.Zak Doffman, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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But scammers are looking for their piece of the pie, tricking consumers into fraudulent purchases or gaining access to their funds.Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Others cast blame, lie, and even cheat to avoid consequences.Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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Alex Bregman Could the Yankees turn to a member of the Astros’ 2017 cheating championship team?Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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By empowering legal teams to achieve accurate, timely SEC compliance, his innovations help companies avoid costly errors and regulatory issues, ultimately supporting investor confidence and market integrity.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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Externalities can and do bring on higher prices without having anything to do with currency error.John Tamny, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
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That rough rollout inspired immediate push-back and criticism from activists, some of which attached traffic cones to the hoods of cars to fool Cruise sensors and immobilize them.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 11 Dec. 2024
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Don't be fooled into thinking a nice hotel is less likely to have bedbugs.Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Unfortunately, Ronnie’s rough morning gets worse when she’s stung by a jellyfish.Emma Soren, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
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Matthew Boyd will be joining the team that defeated the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series, a fact that still stings with fans of Cleveland baseball.Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Dodgers, of course, rallied from a 5-0 deficit when the Yankees suffered an epic meltdown in the top of the fifth, committing two physical errors and one mental gaffe that allowed the Dodgers to score five unearned runs in an eventual 7-6 series-clinching win.Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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But the gaffes, misreads and contradictions by the 13-person committee were frequent and severe.Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Gaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaff. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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