Definition of errornext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun error differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of error are blunder, lapse, mistake, and slip. While all these words mean "a departure from what is true, right, or proper," error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

procedural errors

When would blunder be a good substitute for error?

While the synonyms blunder and error are close in meaning, blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

diplomatic blunders

When can lapse be used instead of error?

The words lapse and error are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

a lapse in judgment

When is it sensible to use mistake instead of error?

In some situations, the words mistake and error are roughly equivalent. However, mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

dialed the wrong number by mistake

When could slip be used to replace error?

Although the words slip and error have much in common, slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

a slip of the tongue

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of error Piper, the former election official, said the recent map changes also increase the chance of administrative errors, like a voter getting the wrong ballot, which can make invalidated votes more likely. Miles Parks, NPR, 14 May 2026 In other words, the Redmond giant’s researchers had every incentive to find something positive about AI in the workplace, but instead found that blindly trusting LLMs to handle internal documents will almost certainly result in everything from errors to data deletion. Krystle Vermes, Futurism, 14 May 2026 But for writers like Deborah, landing a stellar punch line through trial and error upon error is what yields the greatest reward. Caroline Framke, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 An attorney who specializes in consumer debt or elder law can review the filing for procedural errors, advise on exemption claims you may be entitled to file, and, in some cases, challenge the garnishment order entirely. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for error
Recent Examples of Synonyms for error
Noun
  • Both Velez and Farbstein gave me the 411 on what traveler mistakes can back up the security line.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026
  • The third mistake is using wine that is not cold enough.
    Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • Kapoor, who had moved from Atlanta to Miami to attend college, faces 10 years or more in prison on the money-laundering and payroll-tax violations.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
  • In 2020, longtime TCC instructor and program director Jeff McDonald sued the college for breach of contract, constitutional violations and deprivation of property interests without due process.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Instead, every new Drake project is a buffet of humiliation, mortification, and self-serving delusion.
    Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 18 May 2026
  • As his daughter Kyoko (Banno) struggles to keep their fractured home together, Shinji drifts further into delusion, finding his sole tether to reality at a bar run by Mari (Ahn).
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • For the game, for the third straight game, the Lakers made bunches of mistakes that became bunches of baskets, this time 17 blunders that became 30 Oklahoma City points.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
  • In a recent tactical blunder, the first lady’s farcical rollout of a teacher robot made unusually clear what this administration really thinks of children, teachers and schools.
    Randi Weingarten, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Violent crime dropped by nearly half from his first year as mayor to his last, according to LAPD and FBI-era data, and city leaders frequently touted LA’s turnaround compared with the 1990s.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?
    Bethany Brown, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • While Goodman’s paradoxes and fantasies posed challenges to me as her biographer, with the advent of AI slop and ChatGPT, our courtship with illusion (and possibly delusion) is here to stay.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
  • Van Dyke saw his job less as someone creating CG imagery — of which there was almost none in the sequence — than as a sort of additional set decorator, adding physical elements to sell the illusion.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • Her chief lieutenants in this operation are Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill), who specialize in intimidation, surveillance, bribery, and other assorted sins.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 May 2026
  • First-time filmmakers can usually be forgiven some of these sins, only most viewers might not realize that this is Luna’s fifth go in the director’s chair.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Some believe Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird because the eagle steals food from other birds, but Kochersperger said that’s a myth.
    Sarah Raza, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026
  • Like so many historical myths, this swashbuckling tale of pirates, court accusations, and gossip, which frames the rags-to-riches emergence of this American family, is rife with historical fiction.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Error.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/error. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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