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
Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Make the most of your membership by avoiding these mistakes.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2025
Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Just last week, a friend of mine mistook her for my 28-year-old sister in a photo.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
Once, Anna carried off Sacks’s medical bag and then realized her mistake.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Make the most of your membership by avoiding these mistakes.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
Cass has his own problems to deal with, though: He’s supposed to rendezvous on a forested planet with someone named Porco, but his disguise as an Imperial pilot works too well, and a group of squabbling sorta-rebels mistake him for the real thing.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Just last week, a friend of mine mistook her for my 28-year-old sister in a photo.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
Noun
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But the team with the biggest quarterback blunder from 2018 was the Arizona Cardinals, who made the decision to trade up to the No. 10 pick to take Josh Rosen.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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This week’s White House Report Card could have been a bad one, considering court rulings against President Donald Trump, staffing blunders, and a lack of movement on his tariff war that is starting to scare his supporters.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Graham Pauley singled and advanced to third when a fielder’s choice turned into a throwing error on Bohm.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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Kyren Paris reached on an error by Matt Chapman at third, with Chapman cutting in front of Adames with the ball bounding into the outfield to bring Neto home with the second run.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Is Big, Beautiful And Sad Northern Lights Alert For 17 States After ‘Double Eruption’ On Sun Time Blocking as a Leadership Act Time blocking, often misunderstood as a simple productivity hack, is in fact a form of proactive alignment.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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Teachers commonly misunderstood his methods of self-regulation, such as stimming by flapping his hands, as a threat.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But financial experts told USA TODAY people generally overestimate their earnings and underestimate their spending.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Yamazaki Home Adjustable Lid & Pan Organizer $46 Amazon $47 Yamazaki $47 Yamazaki Don’t underestimate the benefit of grabbing the relevant cookware without having to do some sort of kitchen pot-and-pan Jenga.—
Alex Ronan,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hippler said in the new order bringing more attention to it in opening statements and through expert testimony would add more time to the already lengthy trial and probably confuse the jury.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Snakeheads are often confused with a native species—the bowfin—but anglers can tell them apart by looking at the anal fin, which is much longer on a snakehead.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In two weeks, loan holders will start the process of taking money from the paychecks of borrowers who've missed their payments for 270 days or more.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Dahmen missed a putt from inside two feet, dropping him into a tie with eventual winner Garrick Higgo.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Williams misjudged his header and the ball dropped for Tel, who blasted a left-footed shot into the stands.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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The military also misjudged the militant group's capabilities.—
MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH, WAFAA SHURAFA, NATALIE MELZER AND TIA GOLDENBERG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This failure has long been viewed as one of the key miscalculations that delayed the country's recovery, which only began with World War II's industrial demands.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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But human miscalculations continually threaten that delicate balance.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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