as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
according to an oft-told story, the queen set a guest at ease about a faux pas by politely imitating it
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Recent Examples of faux pas
Hayes also said that the key to avoiding any outfit faux pas is from the couple.
—
Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
To avoid making your space feel small, these are the design faux pas designers recommend avoiding.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2025
Gustavsson saved Chisholm’s faux pas, but Chris Kreider potted the rebound for an unassisted go-ahead goal.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Her aunt and cousin have also accused her of committing a faux pas.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
To avoid making your space feel small, these are the design faux pas designers recommend avoiding.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2025
Gustavsson saved Chisholm’s faux pas, but Chris Kreider potted the rebound for an unassisted go-ahead goal.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Her aunt and cousin have also accused her of committing a faux pas.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faux pas
Noun
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Maybe teams won’t make the mistake the Avalanche did and move Rantanen too soon.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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On one hand, speed always enables Chinese players to adapt faster and, if necessary, correct mistakes faster.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Viewers speculated whether this was a blunder, power play or something else.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
27 May 2025
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Many of the nation’s biggest military blunders occurred because there wasn’t enough diversity in the armed forces.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Only one major-league third baseman, the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, has more errors than Muncy’s eight through his first 49 games of the season.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
27 May 2025
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The poll of 1,136 Democrats carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.89 percentage points.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faux pas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faux%20pas. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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