as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
the solecism of asking one's hosts how much something in their house cost them
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of solecism
The result is global English but one without the imprecision and solecism implied by that label.
—
Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
And a single word couldn’t be a dead giveaway either, no matter how much people would like to portray the use of pled rather than pleaded as an obvious Trumpian solecism, especially when Dowd himself has been documented using pled at least once.
—Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2017
Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
And a single word couldn’t be a dead giveaway either, no matter how much people would like to portray the use of pled rather than pleaded as an obvious Trumpian solecism, especially when Dowd himself has been documented using pled at least once.
—Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solecism
Noun
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An Italian Winter Olympics broadcaster who was on the mic for the opening ceremony before the Milan Cortina Games began last week faced immense backlash and a strike call for numerous blunders during the show.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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With a regulation win in their sights, the Sabres allowed the score-tying goal with 26 seconds left in regulation and then made a defensive blunder in overtime to allow Jake Guentzel a clean breakaway for the game-winning goal.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But making a mistake can mean you get hit with an inaccurate tax bill or, worse, an audit.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Trying to fix a mistake before someone finds out?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Jack, a detective with the sheriff's department, is just trying to keep his indiscretions from being broadcast on the 6 o'clock news.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
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Shuler, whose play with Riverside helped him gain a scholarship to the University of New Orleans, broke down several times when describing Lorch’s use of a paddle to punish him for indiscretions ranging from not working hard in practice to struggling in a high school French class.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The lawyers had requested that the Justice Department website be temporarily shut down and that an independent monitor be appointed to ensure no further errors occurred.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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This story has been updated with new information, to reframe parts of the story and to correct spelling errors.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Lett’s inconsequential gaffe overshadowed a defensive performance by the Cowboys that produced a Super Bowl-record nine turnovers.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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The Tigers’ lead certainly would have been larger at that point — when MU led 34-30 — if not for those gaffes.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Solecism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solecism. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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