mistook
mə-ˈstu̇k 
; mistaken
mə-ˈstā-kən
; mistaking
; mistaken
mə-ˈstā-kən
; mistaking
1
: to blunder in the choice of
mistook her way in the dark
2
a
: to misunderstand the meaning or intention of : misinterpret
don't mistake me, I mean exactly what I said
b
: to make a wrong judgment of the character or ability of
The army's leaders mistook the strength of the enemy.
3
: to identify wrongly : confuse with another
I mistook him for his brother
: to be wrong
you mistook when you thought I laughed at you—
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
mistakenly
adverb
mistaker
noun
1
: a wrong judgment : misunderstanding
2
: a wrong action or statement proceeding from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or inattention
Synonyms
Examples of mistake in a Sentence
Verb
the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Noun
It would be a mistake to assume that we can rely on their help.
There must be some mistake.
The manuscript contains numerous spelling mistakes.
There's a mistake in the schedule.
“When does the movie start?” “At 8:00. No, wait—my mistake—it starts at 8:30.”
Recent Examples on the WebIndia Espy-Jones, Essence, 11 Apr. 2024
Evelyn had initially mistaken the throbbing for gallbladder pain.
—Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The monkey deity’s name originates from a story in which Hanuman, then a child, mistakes the sun for a fruit and attempts to grab it.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Taking them on as performers protects us from ever mistaking shows such as Morning Joe, 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, Anderson Cooper 360, Meet the Press, and The Reid Out with Joy Reid as anything other than propaganda.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Mar. 2024
Minor drama ensues after Aren is mistaken for a server by a patron and unceremoniously fired by his gallerist.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
No one will mistake this sprawling set for ever following a straight path, or having a remotely dull moment.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Halle Berry is sharing her experience with getting a diagnosis for perimenopause, which her doctors initially mistook for herpes.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 26 Mar. 2024
People often mistake a slow connection for a slow phone.
—Dua Rashid / Gizmodo, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
Miles Parks, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza a mistake and urged his government to flood the beleaguered territory with aid, ramping up pressure on Israel to reach a cease-fire and widening a rift between the two staunch allies.
—Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Boeing hasn’t acknowledged the specific accusations in the federal report, although CEO Dave Calhoun admitted the company made a mistake and said in response to the probe that Boeing is ultimately responsible.
—David Goldman, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Before Gould, such splices, inserts, dubbings and other tools of the recording engineers were generally seen as remedies for brief mistakes, sometimes of a single note.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The retractions and new allegations add to a larger, ongoing debate in science about how to protect scientific integrity and reduce the incentives that could lead to misconduct or unintentional mistakes in research.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Israel’s account of its attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy raises significant legal questions even if the strike was the result of a series of mistakes, experts say.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Even now, with the scaffolding dismantled and the panels beginning to soak up the late-winter sunlight, critics are eager to point out why the project was a mistake.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
The two-time unanimous American League MVP’s first home at-bat didn’t go to plan though, hitting a double into the right-field gap before being thrown out between second and third base in a rare base-running mistake when his teammate Mookie Betts didn’t attempt to run home.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
As the key detail to even the most dramatic hair looks (as seen on FKA Twigs), the strong-hold styling product is used daily with brands like Moco de Gorila’s Gorilla Snot Gel (not to be mistaken for gorilla glue) and Got2B Glued Styling Gel as beauty supply store front runners.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 11 Apr. 2024
Evelyn had initially mistaken the throbbing for gallbladder pain.
—Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The monkey deity’s name originates from a story in which Hanuman, then a child, mistakes the sun for a fruit and attempts to grab it.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Taking them on as performers protects us from ever mistaking shows such as Morning Joe, 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, Anderson Cooper 360, Meet the Press, and The Reid Out with Joy Reid as anything other than propaganda.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Mar. 2024
Minor drama ensues after Aren is mistaken for a server by a patron and unceremoniously fired by his gallerist.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
No one will mistake this sprawling set for ever following a straight path, or having a remotely dull moment.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Halle Berry is sharing her experience with getting a diagnosis for perimenopause, which her doctors initially mistook for herpes.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 26 Mar. 2024
People often mistake a slow connection for a slow phone.
—Dua Rashid / Gizmodo, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
Noun
And a recent study in Arizona (first reported by The Washington Post) found that less than 1% of noncitizens attempt to register to vote, and even in those cases, the vast majority are thought to be mistakes.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza a mistake and urged his government to flood the beleaguered territory with aid, ramping up pressure on Israel to reach a cease-fire and widening a rift between the two staunch allies.
—Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Boeing hasn’t acknowledged the specific accusations in the federal report, although CEO Dave Calhoun admitted the company made a mistake and said in response to the probe that Boeing is ultimately responsible.
—David Goldman, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Before Gould, such splices, inserts, dubbings and other tools of the recording engineers were generally seen as remedies for brief mistakes, sometimes of a single note.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The retractions and new allegations add to a larger, ongoing debate in science about how to protect scientific integrity and reduce the incentives that could lead to misconduct or unintentional mistakes in research.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Israel’s account of its attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy raises significant legal questions even if the strike was the result of a series of mistakes, experts say.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Even now, with the scaffolding dismantled and the panels beginning to soak up the late-winter sunlight, critics are eager to point out why the project was a mistake.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
The two-time unanimous American League MVP’s first home at-bat didn’t go to plan though, hitting a double into the right-field gap before being thrown out between second and third base in a rare base-running mistake when his teammate Mookie Betts didn’t attempt to run home.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mistake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mistake
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistake. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mistake
1 of 2 verb
mis·take
mə-ˈstāk
1
: to understand wrongly : misinterpret
mistook my meaning
2
: to estimate incorrectly
mistook the strength of the enemy
3
: to identify wrongly
mistook me for her
mistakenly
adverb
mistake
2 of 2 noun1
: a wrong judgment : misunderstanding
2
: a wrong action or statement
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