1
as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
so-called debates, which seemed to be mainly about seeing which candidate made the most gaffes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaffe
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Some Wheel of Fortune gaffes are simply more cringe-worthy than others.
—
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Read more Adrien Brody gives powerful Oscar speech after Best Actor win
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Hulu's Oscars gaffe, email error sparks anger
During the ceremony, Oscars host Conan O'Brien poked fun at the Dune star's outfit color choice.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Twists and gaffes happening at the tail end of a race—for which this year’s voting round ended on Tuesday—are nothing new.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2025
And the Wildcats scored 19 points off of those errors, dwarfing the seven points the Terps converted from Northwestern’s 13 gaffes.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Read more Adrien Brody gives powerful Oscar speech after Best Actor win
The worst Super Bowl ads of 2025
Hulu's Oscars gaffe, email error sparks anger
During the ceremony, Oscars host Conan O'Brien poked fun at the Dune star's outfit color choice.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Twists and gaffes happening at the tail end of a race—for which this year’s voting round ended on Tuesday—are nothing new.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2025
And the Wildcats scored 19 points off of those errors, dwarfing the seven points the Terps converted from Northwestern’s 13 gaffes.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
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The lawyer, author and consulting firm CEO has spent more than 30 years counseling people through their biggest blunders and controversies, from former president George H. W. Bush to Fortune 500 CEOs and professional athletes.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
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Russell Westbrook bounced back from his decisive blunder against Minnesota by scoring a season-high 30 points and adding 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Serious mistakes were made in that investigation, and agents were disciplined for botching applications to secretly obtain a surveillance warrant.—
Adam Goldman,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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There is a huge difference between preparing with the obsession of not making mistakes and preparing with the desire to effectively convey a message.—
Chiara Alzati,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The surveys were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
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The poll was conducted between March 24 and 28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The world watched in utter shock as Tiger’s pristine image unraveled amid revelations of marital indiscretions.—
Mike Bianchi,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2025
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The military’s strict code of conduct Hegseth’s indiscretions could impede his ability to lead by example, said the chief executive officer of the nation’s largest group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.—
Tara Copp,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Transport boxes, electronic scales and gaffs, sharp blades that can be attached to roosters' legs during fights, were found on the property, the news statement said.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
15 Feb. 2025
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Anglers need both an angling license and a recreational turtle license to harvest turtles using angling gear like hook and line, landing nets and gaff hooks.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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