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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to confuse
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 mistake
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
And unlike misspellings or other mistakes, large swaths of coherent text don’t give the reader clues that the transcriptions could be inaccurate, potentially leading users to use them in high-stakes scenarios without ever finding their failures.
—Asmelash Teka Hadgu, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
And some fans mistook Thrasher’s sister-in-law for Swift’s manager, Tree Paine.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
Signing an extension with the Cubs before teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and others get the chance to bid on him would be a monumental mistake.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
And unlike misspellings or other mistakes, large swaths of coherent text don’t give the reader clues that the transcriptions could be inaccurate, potentially leading users to use them in high-stakes scenarios without ever finding their failures.
—Asmelash Teka Hadgu, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
Cleanliness is, allegedly, next to godliness, a phrase that has been attributed to 18th century evangelist and founder of the Methodist Church John Wesley, but it is thrown around as purposefully as a Bible verse, often being mistaken for one.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
And some fans mistook Thrasher’s sister-in-law for Swift’s manager, Tree Paine.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
Noun
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The lawyer, author and consulting firm CEO has spent more than 30 years counseling people through their biggest blunders and controversies, from former president George H. W. Bush to Fortune 500 CEOs and professional athletes.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
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Russell Westbrook bounced back from his decisive blunder against Minnesota by scoring a season-high 30 points and adding 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the last two decades, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have crashed into the Hudson and East rivers due to mechanical failures, pilot errors, or collisions, resulting in 20 fatalities.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But to do so would be to misunderstand the fundamentals upon which Howe has rebuilt Newcastle; his philosophy relies upon spirit, commonality and solidarity.—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
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Both strategies misunderstand what drives transformative companies.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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As simple as that: is McLaren underestimating Verstappen?—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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Finally, organizations underestimate the hidden costs of talent turnover.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
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Few foods confuse foreign visitors quite like brunost, Norwegian brown cheese.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Matsuyama came close but fell short by one stroke, missing a birdie on 18 by inches.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera grossly misjudged the flight of the ball, missing Roberto Alvarado’s cross completely.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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As evidenced by what went down on Wednesday night, Harrison and team owner Patrick Dumont badly misjudged how the fans would handle this trade.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For all of this, any denial of the genuine nature of the grievances of the demonstrators, and most importantly their belief that if Hamas leaves the governance scene, the war might stop and life might improve, is misplaced and reflects serious miscalculation.—
Khalil Shikaki,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
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While Canadians may appear reserved, underestimating them at the negotiating table would be a serious miscalculation.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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