1
as in blunder
a wrong judgment
they made a mistake when they thought the young pitcher was ready to be called up to the major leagues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in error
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
made a mistake on the exam that almost cost her a passing grade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to misunderstand
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to underestimate
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
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3
as in to confuse
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
she mistook physical attraction for love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistake
Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
Patrick said combining the two proposals is a dangerous mistake.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2025
Organizations that distinguish between preventable and productive failures consistently outperform those with blanket approaches to mistake management.
—Michael Hudson, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
Here's how cuts at NIH could impact cancer patients
RFK Jr. cuts CDC labs investigating STD and hepatitis outbreaks
RFK Jr. says 20% of health agency layoffs could be mistakes
In:
Death
Childbirth
Sara Moniuszko
Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
Patrick said combining the two proposals is a dangerous mistake.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
Sometimes mistaken for predatory sharks, basking sharks spend most of their time feeding near the surface, Oceana said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2025
Organizations that distinguish between preventable and productive failures consistently outperform those with blanket approaches to mistake management.
—Michael Hudson, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
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
-
Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.—
Sid Evans,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
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The margins for error are always going to be thin on a cold, wet night like Monday, but Juan Soto is a safe bet any night.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That the pendulum has swung again to claims of personal freedom over real public benefit in the case of fluoride fundamentally misunderstands the role of community and society.—
Megha Satyanarayana,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2025
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Whether this is proof that too many writers (or, more likely, development executives) misunderstood why Breaking Bad worked is an open question.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Without a state or national policy change, the long-term effect of SNAP restrictions on Americans' diets is likely to be underestimated.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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Investors might be underestimating the impact of tariffs on pharmaceutical products, according to one Wall Street firm.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
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Few foods confuse foreign visitors quite like brunost, Norwegian brown cheese.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Kane County coroner’s office announced Thursday night that the skeletal remains found inside a car removed this week from the Fox River belong to Karen Schepers, the 23-year-old Elgin woman missing since April 1983.—
Courier-News,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Curry has missed the last few games for the Warriors but could be making his return tomorrow.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera grossly misjudged the flight of the ball, missing Roberto Alvarado’s cross completely.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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The question is whether his voice will carry and if Schoen again has misjudged what leadership looks like.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While Canadians may appear reserved, underestimating them at the negotiating table would be a serious miscalculation.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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In some cases, overpayments are due to miscalculations on the part of the Social Security Administration, or because the agency doesn't update beneficiaries' records in a timely way.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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