1
as in blunders
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 errors
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 misunderstands
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 underestimates
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confuses
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 mistakes
ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Sandwiched between those mistakes was a diving grab on a sinking line drive by Gorman in the sixth.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
His mistakes have included depriving vulnerable older people of a benefit to heat their homes; raising payroll taxes on employers, while simultaneously asking them to hire more young people; and seeking a new relationship with the European Union, but never spelling out what that means.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Allowing children to repeat the same mistakes time and again and learn nothing from the experience other than to expect someone will always be there to bail them out of their difficulties is not a recipe for a happy life.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Why facial recognition mistakes are so dangerous Facial recognition can help generate leads.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Find the groups without making four mistakes.
—Mark Cooper, New York Times, 7 May 2026
More resources available Debt is a focus this month on the In Your Corner podcast, covering common mistakes, practical payoff strategies and guidance on when to seek help.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Basketball is a game full of mistakes.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 8 May 2026
The Suns didn’t help themselves with 19 turnovers, mistakes Oklahoma City turned into 34 points.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
In a category that often mistakes complexity and aggression for innovation, this kind of approach is surprisingly rare.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026
Seasonal allergies happen when the immune system mistakes something harmless in the environment, such as pollen, as a danger, setting off reactions and symptoms that can turn spring from a gift into an ordeal.
—Matt Fuchs, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
In another scene, Peet’s character is asked for an autograph by a young woman who mistakes her for the actor Lake Bell.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Chicken allergies occur when the body's immune system mistakes chicken as a harmful invader, triggering an allergic reaction.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
The market focuses on the median dot and often mistakes it for a plan, even though they are derived from 19 separate forecasts and not curated into a policy forecast by the committee.
—Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
But for every moment of genuine accountability journalism that reminds the public what the press is capable of, there seems to follow another viral post, another sympathetic profile of a terrorist’s grieving relatives, another story that mistakes activism for reporting.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
In the report, the auditor general points out multiple concerning examples of mistakes in those summaries that could have a direct and negative impact on a patient’s subsequent care.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Sandwiched between those mistakes was a diving grab on a sinking line drive by Gorman in the sixth.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
His mistakes have included depriving vulnerable older people of a benefit to heat their homes; raising payroll taxes on employers, while simultaneously asking them to hire more young people; and seeking a new relationship with the European Union, but never spelling out what that means.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Allowing children to repeat the same mistakes time and again and learn nothing from the experience other than to expect someone will always be there to bail them out of their difficulties is not a recipe for a happy life.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Why facial recognition mistakes are so dangerous Facial recognition can help generate leads.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Find the groups without making four mistakes.
—Mark Cooper, New York Times, 7 May 2026
More resources available Debt is a focus this month on the In Your Corner podcast, covering common mistakes, practical payoff strategies and guidance on when to seek help.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Basketball is a game full of mistakes.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Verb
When Ava interrupts to bring Deborah her cell phone, Kelly mistakes Ava for Deborah’s girlfriend and has a new understanding of her foe.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 8 May 2026
The Suns didn’t help themselves with 19 turnovers, mistakes Oklahoma City turned into 34 points.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
In a category that often mistakes complexity and aggression for innovation, this kind of approach is surprisingly rare.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026
Seasonal allergies happen when the immune system mistakes something harmless in the environment, such as pollen, as a danger, setting off reactions and symptoms that can turn spring from a gift into an ordeal.
—Matt Fuchs, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
In another scene, Peet’s character is asked for an autograph by a young woman who mistakes her for the actor Lake Bell.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Chicken allergies occur when the body's immune system mistakes chicken as a harmful invader, triggering an allergic reaction.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
The market focuses on the median dot and often mistakes it for a plan, even though they are derived from 19 separate forecasts and not curated into a policy forecast by the committee.
—Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
But for every moment of genuine accountability journalism that reminds the public what the press is capable of, there seems to follow another viral post, another sympathetic profile of a terrorist’s grieving relatives, another story that mistakes activism for reporting.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistakes
Noun
-
The Royals made two critical such blunders in a 7-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
-
Delinquent financing, lawsuits, project delays, construction blunders and defects, evidence that some workers were forced to live in an East Bay warehouse, allegations of slave labor, and a death haunted the property while Z&L owned it.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Its document generation tools guide founders through complex legal processes step by step, reducing errors and ensuring completeness.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Two incidents in January involved reversing errors, including backing into a wooden utility pole and hitting a curb while parking.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
In a way, the old joke about the doughnut and coffee cup misunderstands the power of topological thinking.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
-
This latter position fundamentally misunderstands the PRC’s determination to absorb Taiwan; expressing weakness is more likely to invite a Chinese invasion.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If anything, the Texas study probably underestimates the economic impact of college attainment.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
Andy Sachs starts off as the girl everyone underestimates, then proceeds to survive the highs and lows of working for Runway magazine in The Devil Wears Prada.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nobody ever confuses two white NASCAR drivers!—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
The odor masks the scent of animals' preferred vegetables and confuses insect pests, including aphids, carrot flies, cabbage worms and loopers, spider mites, thrips, and Japanese beetles.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The use of video technology has increased the scrutiny, even though it was never sold as a panacea to the issue of refereeing misjudgments.—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Ullrich stresses the role of tactical mistakes and misjudgments, not least by the far left, which shortsightedly refused to compromise its beliefs and join with more moderate groups to oppose democratic backsliding.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Loudermilk, of course, misses the point of this monologue.—
David O’Neill,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Why Whataboutism Falls Flat This is why a common defense of these sectors misses the mark.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Too often, philanthropy misjudges where the real risk lies.—
Abigail Disney,
Time,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Home designer Allisa Jacobs wrote in a blog post that AI routinely misjudges the proportions and sizes of rooms and furniture, suggesting pieces that wouldn’t realistically fit in the space.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistakes. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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