1
as in mistakes
a wrong judgment
another misstep like that, and the company could go belly-up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in blunders
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
a misstep that could lead to disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of missteps
Byard studies a smartphone showing his year-old wishes for a new coach, those expressed to a reporter late last season, including disappointment that far too many missteps had been improperly dealt with.
—
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The chief’s comments, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Palisades fire, were the strongest admission yet of missteps by department leaders.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Schoen was expected to be in the hot seat at the end of the regular season after several notable missteps during his tenure.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
When enterprises rely on devs to build passkeys in-house, any gaps or missteps that occur during the process can surface as user friction later on.
—Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
To avoid some of the same missteps in achieving those goals, Kate Byrne, a financial wellness expert with Vanguard, offers up advice in this In Your Corner Podcast episode.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
With realistic plans and a willingness to learn from missteps, small changes can add up to long-term financial stability.
—Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The willingness to discuss failure and missteps—not as cautionary tales, but as evidence of survival—ran throughout the event.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
While many key figures—including Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell—later expressed regret over the absence of WMDs and policy missteps, Cheney famously defended the invasion and the narrative around it in the following years.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The chief’s comments, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Palisades fire, were the strongest admission yet of missteps by department leaders.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Schoen was expected to be in the hot seat at the end of the regular season after several notable missteps during his tenure.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
When enterprises rely on devs to build passkeys in-house, any gaps or missteps that occur during the process can surface as user friction later on.
—Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
To avoid some of the same missteps in achieving those goals, Kate Byrne, a financial wellness expert with Vanguard, offers up advice in this In Your Corner Podcast episode.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
With realistic plans and a willingness to learn from missteps, small changes can add up to long-term financial stability.
—Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The willingness to discuss failure and missteps—not as cautionary tales, but as evidence of survival—ran throughout the event.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
While many key figures—including Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell—later expressed regret over the absence of WMDs and policy missteps, Cheney famously defended the invasion and the narrative around it in the following years.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missteps
Noun
-
This lens helps explain everything from investing mistakes and overspending to why some people quietly build wealth while others blow money in ways that, from the outside, look spectacularly dumb.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Players will now have the ability to correct mistakes by rewinding, as well as the option to save their progress.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That was indicative of how Buffalo’s blunders proved costly.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
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Williamson County based Ramsey Solutions has also come up with an effective guide to avoid any regifting blunders.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Reina’s attorney in a separate civil case wrote in a court filing that his client’s potential errors were unintentional and made in good faith.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Taxpayers rightly ask, are independent audits being properly performed and reviewed to prevent such errors?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missteps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missteps. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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