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
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Recent Examples of mistook
Canons of literature were curated by gatekeepers who mistook their vantage point for universality.
—
The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Experts in Italy accidentally mistook a three for an eight, and misdated an important, 14th-century Madonna and Child painting, now up for auction.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
All of this comes after reports on how Kate Middleton once had a pretty funny response after someone mistook her for Prince William’s assistant.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 June 2026
Alvarez, 41, was in MacArthur Park on May 18 when he was approached by two police officers, who initially mistook him as the suspect in a vehicle theft, according to a Justice Department news release and a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the Central District of California.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Samara Weaving and Margot Robbie bear a striking resemblance to one another—so much so, apparently, that a fan once mistook her for the Barbie actress.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Two years in the making, this unexpected white marble pyramid jutting out of the sand dunes (which locals mistook as a hub for illicit activities during its construction) has significantly raised the culture bar in the area.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
In January 2024, Lola was diagnosed with leukemia after her parents initially mistook bruises appearing across her body for childhood clumsiness.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Recent history is full of businesses that mistook expansion for resilience and discovered too late that scale alone doesn’t fix weak fundamentals.
—Richard McCathron, Fortune, 25 May 2026
The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Experts in Italy accidentally mistook a three for an eight, and misdated an important, 14th-century Madonna and Child painting, now up for auction.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
All of this comes after reports on how Kate Middleton once had a pretty funny response after someone mistook her for Prince William’s assistant.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 June 2026
Alvarez, 41, was in MacArthur Park on May 18 when he was approached by two police officers, who initially mistook him as the suspect in a vehicle theft, according to a Justice Department news release and a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the Central District of California.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Samara Weaving and Margot Robbie bear a striking resemblance to one another—so much so, apparently, that a fan once mistook her for the Barbie actress.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Two years in the making, this unexpected white marble pyramid jutting out of the sand dunes (which locals mistook as a hub for illicit activities during its construction) has significantly raised the culture bar in the area.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
In January 2024, Lola was diagnosed with leukemia after her parents initially mistook bruises appearing across her body for childhood clumsiness.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Recent history is full of businesses that mistook expansion for resilience and discovered too late that scale alone doesn’t fix weak fundamentals.
—Richard McCathron, Fortune, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
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In response to questions about the Mizuho analyst’s conclusions, Muddy Waters founder Carson Block told Fortune by email that the analyst had misunderstood its findings.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The extent of just how badly Mike has misjudged Kingstown’s current situation becomes clear this week in his interactions with Warden Nina Hobbs.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
23 Nov. 2025
-
Will Smith misjudged the ball and never ran to third base, allowing catcher William Contreras to jog to third base and get the final out of the inning.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The novel part of the counterclaim is the claim that TP-Link has successfully confused American consumers and retailers about ditching its Chinese ties.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
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The shirts were polarizing, however, with some fans confused about Swift's attendance.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Berrios had missed the entire postseason up to the World Series while recovering from an injury in the regular season.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Edmonds missed the ensuing free throw, but Punch kept the possession alive by knocking the ball off of a North Texas player.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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However, Washington underestimated how much its influence depended on the wider relationship surrounding those transactions.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
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The optimism that Blanche would be a moderating force, though, seems to have underestimated the corrupting power of ambition.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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