as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
a newsreader who memorably dropped a clanger when she referred to Robert Burns as an English poet
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Recent Examples of clanger
In its two most recent games, its goalkeeper, André Onana, has made calamitous clangers, leading to easy goals for the opposition.
—
Alex Tabet, NBC News, 15 Dec. 2024
The veined wing of the clanger cicada kills bacteria solely through its physical structure — one of the first natural surfaces found to do so.
—Trevor Quirk, Scientific American, 5 Mar. 2013
But only new centre back David Luiz has provided clangers in defence in more than one game, losing Ashley Barnes with some schoolboy marking against Burnley before that shirt pull on Mohamed Salah at Anfield.
—SI.com, 7 Sep. 2019
Another game against Chelsea and another clanger for Lloris - this time during the Lilywhites tenure at Wembley.
—SI.com, 30 Sep. 2019
This doesn't stop players from slipping every now and again, or dropping a social clanger or two.
—SI.com, 29 Sep. 2019
This is hardly surprising given the Spaniard's mixed start to life at Anfield, making a clanger while trying to play out from the back which handed Danny Ings a goal in the narrow victory over Southampton.
—SI.com, 3 Sep. 2019
For years the clanger has dangled in the middle, banging against the bell’s iron walls for two states to hear, back and forth from Indiana to Ohio to Indiana to Ohio …
WHERE’S GREGG?
—Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, 3 July 2019
Despite showing solidarity on the pitch, matters were complicated when Bale's agent dropped an inadvertent clanger on local radio, stating the pair didn't get along.
—SI.com, 1 Apr. 2018
Alex Tabet, NBC News, 15 Dec. 2024
The veined wing of the clanger cicada kills bacteria solely through its physical structure — one of the first natural surfaces found to do so.
—Trevor Quirk, Scientific American, 5 Mar. 2013
But only new centre back David Luiz has provided clangers in defence in more than one game, losing Ashley Barnes with some schoolboy marking against Burnley before that shirt pull on Mohamed Salah at Anfield.
—SI.com, 7 Sep. 2019
Another game against Chelsea and another clanger for Lloris - this time during the Lilywhites tenure at Wembley.
—SI.com, 30 Sep. 2019
This doesn't stop players from slipping every now and again, or dropping a social clanger or two.
—SI.com, 29 Sep. 2019
This is hardly surprising given the Spaniard's mixed start to life at Anfield, making a clanger while trying to play out from the back which handed Danny Ings a goal in the narrow victory over Southampton.
—SI.com, 3 Sep. 2019
For years the clanger has dangled in the middle, banging against the bell’s iron walls for two states to hear, back and forth from Indiana to Ohio to Indiana to Ohio …
WHERE’S GREGG?
—Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, 3 July 2019
Despite showing solidarity on the pitch, matters were complicated when Bale's agent dropped an inadvertent clanger on local radio, stating the pair didn't get along.
—SI.com, 1 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clanger
Noun
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This loss of institutional support could leave borrowers with nowhere to turn when servicers make mistakes or when questions arise about complex repayment programs.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Astonishingly, Donald Trump is on the verge of making the same mistake.—
Charles C. W. Cooke,
National Review,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The blunder occurred while Trump, 78, was speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews military facility in Maryland after giving a speech at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 14.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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The longer-term question is how much more patience and grace Trump’s base will grant Bondi, who already bears scars as the central figure in arguably the administration’s earliest blunder.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Naturally, the usual delays, misunderstandings and errors in communication are all common when Mercury retrogrades, but when in a sign like Aries, these moments are more likely to be louder, bolder and triggering.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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Except that is a simplification of what the original dialogue says, and a localization error with big consequences.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clanger. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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