1
as in misunderstood
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misjudged
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confused
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mistook
An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Hoyas guard Fred Brown mistook Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate and passed the ball right to his opponent.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The doctors at Daso include an octogenarian who once mistook fat for an appendix and other doctors whose board certifications appear to be overstated.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
In September 2018, Guyger mistook Jean’s apartment for her own.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Censori confirmed one part of earlier testimony — that Kardashian was reportedly perturbed when another employee mistook Censori for Kardashian during a visit to the house.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Others mistook Caesar’s top-down approach for a desire to replace the Republic with a monarchy.
—Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
In October, a juvenile wolf from the Beyem Seyo pack in Sierra County was shot to death by a CDFW officer who mistook it for one of three adult animals that had been preying on cattle from local ranches.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Hoyas guard Fred Brown mistook Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate and passed the ball right to his opponent.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The doctors at Daso include an octogenarian who once mistook fat for an appendix and other doctors whose board certifications appear to be overstated.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
In September 2018, Guyger mistook Jean’s apartment for her own.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Censori confirmed one part of earlier testimony — that Kardashian was reportedly perturbed when another employee mistook Censori for Kardashian during a visit to the house.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Others mistook Caesar’s top-down approach for a desire to replace the Republic with a monarchy.
—Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
In October, a juvenile wolf from the Beyem Seyo pack in Sierra County was shot to death by a CDFW officer who mistook it for one of three adult animals that had been preying on cattle from local ranches.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Democrats stand for upholding the Constitution and Rule of Law but have been misunderstood by the electorate.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even so, the idea seemed misjudged.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In the end, McAdams’ sexiness isn’t incidental, but integral to how she’s been misjudged.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But to be fair, if worn independently, any of these products could be easily confused for any standard accessory thanks to smaller chips and sensors.—
Brian Cheung,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Brad Pitt once confused DiCaprio's parents for extras.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Murray made the game’s first basket, then missed his next 12 shots before fouling out.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Linesman Ben O’Quinn fell ill after the first period and missed the rest of the game.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And that seems to really have been underestimated by the United States.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
But the regime’s tenacity cannot be underestimated.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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