1
: a social or diplomatic blunder
committed an embarrassing gaffe when he mispronounced her name
2
: a noticeable mistake
Kwan did not fall today, as she had in Friday's short program, a gaffe that left her in fourth place.—
Christopher Clarey
Christopher ClareySynonyms
Examples of gaffe in a Sentence
He realized that he had committed an awful gaffe when he mispronounced her name.
committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump, Vance's running mate, has taken full advantage of Biden's gaffe, arguing that the moment reveals Democrats' true thoughts about half of America.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Harris' camp has echoed her closing message of unity while still going on offense to capitalize on Trump's recent controversies and gaffes.
—Axios, 3 Nov. 2024
Trump seeks to press advantage from Biden’s ‘garbage’ gaffe.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
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A slow start, a critical gaffe and another Sharks loss.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaffe 
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Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Harris' camp has echoed her closing message of unity while still going on offense to capitalize on Trump's recent controversies and gaffes.
—Axios, 3 Nov. 2024
Trump seeks to press advantage from Biden’s ‘garbage’ gaffe.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Related Articles Sharks place forward on IR, recall rookie from Barracuda
Sharks, amid winless start, are dealing with another injury
Sharks president not surprised by inconsistency, wants more from some vets
A slow start, a critical gaffe and another Sharks loss.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaffe
Dictionary Entries Near gaffe
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaffe. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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gaffe
noun
: a noticeable mistake especially of manners
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