1
as in blunder
a wrong judgment
they made a mistake when they thought the young pitcher was ready to be called up to the major leagues
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2
as in error
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
made a mistake on the exam that almost cost her a passing grade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to misunderstand
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to underestimate
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
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3
as in to confuse
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
she mistook physical attraction for love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistake
Cj Moore, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Those moments looked similar to certain times last season, when mistakes and goals conceded snowballed out of control.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
Sarah Bradley, Health, 13 Feb. 2025
Still, mistaking a spacecraft or human-made object for an asteroid is troublesome for the Minor Planet Center, which is tasked only with identifying naturally occurring objects.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
Not holding onto both in favor of immediate production from the portal was a mistake.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Those moments looked similar to certain times last season, when mistakes and goals conceded snowballed out of control.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
Other common skin conditions, like psoriasis and ringworm, can be mistaken for dandruff or dry scalp.
—Sarah Bradley, Health, 13 Feb. 2025
Still, mistaking a spacecraft or human-made object for an asteroid is troublesome for the Minor Planet Center, which is tasked only with identifying naturally occurring objects.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
Noun
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Still, many in Kenya condemned the talks as a political blunder by President William Ruto, and called on him to reverse course.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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The verdict came after a blunder by Miami-Dade state prosecutors, who felt the need to apologize to jurors for not identifying a purse on the couch next to where Knighton was sitting in Blount’s apartment when she was shot.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The pressure to manage heavy caseloads, navigate complex legal systems and meet client demands often leaves little room for error (or rest).—
Raquel Gomes,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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That's detected by the cerebellum, and its goal is to minimize that error signal.—
Tim Stevens,
Ars Technica,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Trump fundamentally misunderstands the role that parents play — often tirelessly — in working with school officials to assure that their trans child is respected and affirmed in school, allowing those students to learn and mature in a safe environment.—
Edwin C. Yohnka,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2025
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Here’s how the letter infringes on free speech, misunderstands the law and undermines education.—
Paul M. Collins Jr.,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Deterrence can’t work if your adversary underestimates your ability or willingness to act.—
Edward Fishman,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2025
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Success can breed overconfidence, leading leaders to underestimate emerging threats.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Not to be confused with New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Along those lines, a settlement should not be confused with a collective bargaining agreement, which pro teams and unionized employees extinguish or mollify a broader range of potential claims.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Jalen Suggs last played for the Orlando Magic on Jan. 25 and has missed 15 games.—
Stan Son,
The Athletic,
5 Mar. 2025
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Reports surfaced in 2021 that Casey Anthony had created a TikTok account and had been posting videos claiming to miss Caylee.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The show still leans too heavily on hallucinations, and the early episodes misjudge what’s appealing to the viewers (Alexa Barajas’ Mari moves to the center of the wilderness action, while there’s an entire B-story in the present about Shauna’s family karma).—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
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Analysis is valuable to prevent biases like stereotyping and misjudging probabilities, while intuition is valuable for creativity and rapid adaptation to complex problems.—
Hulan Hagen,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Nationals are aiming for a stadium naming deal that runs at least 20 years, and a jersey patch deal with a minimum three-year term, so any miscalculation could linger.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The Connecticut Mirror reported last month that the annual cost of maintaining long-term care coverage has skyrocketed for many residents due to miscalculations by insurers on how long people would live, the price of care and how many would need it.—
Jenna Carlesso,
Hartford Courant,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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