honest mistake
noun
: something that anyone could be wrong about
Don't worry about it. It was an honest mistake.
Examples of honest mistake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Without the original to check against, an honest mistake and a deliberate fabrication look identical on the page.
—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2026
Most School Board members echoed the belief that the incident was an honest mistake.
—
Natalie La Roche Pietri,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Smith said that no taxes were due in one of the cases mentioned, and that the other was an honest mistake.
—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
30 Oct. 2025
What head coach John Harbaugh called an honest mistake could end up costing the Baltimore Ravens dearly.
—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Keathley says there needed to be evidence of bad faith, but the nondisclosure was an honest mistake.
—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
15 Oct. 2025
Sending random cartoon images with ridiculous captions is perhaps an honest mistake.
—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2026
Most School Board members echoed the belief that the incident was an honest mistake.
—
Natalie La Roche Pietri,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Smith said that no taxes were due in one of the cases mentioned, and that the other was an honest mistake.
—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
30 Oct. 2025
What head coach John Harbaugh called an honest mistake could end up costing the Baltimore Ravens dearly.
—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Keathley says there needed to be evidence of bad faith, but the nondisclosure was an honest mistake.
—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
15 Oct. 2025
Sending random cartoon images with ridiculous captions is perhaps an honest mistake.
—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Honest mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honest%20mistake. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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