gaff 1 of 2

noun

ˈgaf How to pronounce gaff (audio)
Definition of gaffnext
1
as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark you can expect to make some amusing gaffs until you get more familiar with the language

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blunder
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy double-check the new writer's grammar, as it's typically riddled with gaffs

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gaff

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue a sleazy schemer who gaffed gullible people into thinking they could get rich with a money-making opportunity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats the operators of the traveling carnival had gaffed patrons with a variety of time-honored ruses

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gaff
Noun
Some of the gear commonly used for technical climbing, like gaffs—steel spikes worn on the legs for added grip on the tree trunk when cutting branches—can also cause inadvertent damage to the tallest trees. — Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 7 Aug. 2024 Dana Taylor: How can people determine the difference between just a normal gaff and when there's actually something wrong? — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Sunday's cartoons - airline safety, teleprompter gaffs, and more Newsletter sign up By The Week US published April 28, 2024 Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber. — The Week Us, theweek, 28 Apr. 2024 Despite the gaff, Redmaye is still hoping to sneak his son and daughter into the August Wilson Theatre in New York City to see his opening number. — Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for gaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaff
  1. mistake
  2. blunder
  3. trick
  4. cheat
  5. error
  6. fool
  7. sting
  8. gaffe
Noun
  • Before formally apologizing to her, Phillips tells Danny about how the stringent demands of Dr. Broussard, who visited Maguire in Episode 4, led him to nick a vessel during an outpatient procedure on a 20-year-old man named Julio, and Phillips’ parents then covered up his fatal mistake.
    — Max Gao, Variety, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Nuggets Podcast: Russell Westbrook’s Minnesota mistake, the Western pecking order and a confidence game Jalen Pickett got advice from Chris Paul once.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • After coalescing with ultranationalists to establish the nation's furthest right government in late 2022, the former special forces commando who had already become Israel's longest serving premier largely deflected criticism over the intelligence blunder of October 7, 2023.
    — Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Yet, the Trump White House and leading Republicans in Congress have tried mightily to put a positive spin on the colossal blunder, even as Democrats pounced on it.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of blunder
Verb
  • The Big Cat turned the tables on all those trolls for April Fool's Day and tricked plenty of them.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
  • For example, Russian operatives reportedly tricked Ukrainian troops into giving access to their Signal accounts.
    — Frederick Scholl, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of trick
Verb
  • Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Okay, cheating here a little, as Zendaya has already been cast as Ronnie Spector in Barry Jenkins’s biopic of the iconic singer and lead of the ’60s girl group the Ronettes.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Trump cheers major voter ID win — says Dems can’t 'cheat' anymore.
    — FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • All the results were just outside margins of error.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The lawsuit claims medical errors happened during the procedure, which led to the bowel perforation.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of error
Verb
  • Don't let anyone fool you into abandoning the single most effective social program in our nation's history.
    — John T. Harvey, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Likely draft position: Early-mid rounds Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State: Don’t be fooled by Miller spending five years at the FCS level.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of fool
Verb
  • With very little time left in the season, how the Lakers respond to Thursday’s stinging defeat could have a significant impact on their playoff outlook.
    — Khobi Price, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Bruce was badly bruised by experiences at Newcastle and West Brom, the two jobs that preceded Blackpool where personal criticisms stung.
    — Philip Buckingham, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of sting
Noun
  • Two innings later, Friedl — who singled and was caught stealing in the first, homered in the second and singled in the fourth before his gaffe — laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit with a runner on, then scored on Elly De La Cruz’s single, giving the Reds a four-run cushion.
    — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The Kamala Harris gaffe that floored even her own advisor.
    — FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of gaffe

Browse Nearby Words

gadzooks
gaff
gaffe
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Cite this Entry

“Gaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaff. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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