1
as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
so-called debates, which seemed to be mainly about seeing which candidate made the most gaffes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaffe
Now up 20-12, the Eagles profited from a Commanders gaffe on the ensuing kickoff.
—
Kevin Dotson, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
Every word was policy, or signaled a shift in policy, or revealed a secret, or was a gaffe that could cause an international incident or domestic political turmoil.
—Al Pessin, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2025
The gaffe hinted at how the next few hours would play out.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Other Redditors chimed in on the spelling mistake, sharing their thoughts on the unusual gaffe.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gaffe 
Kevin Dotson, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
Every word was policy, or signaled a shift in policy, or revealed a secret, or was a gaffe that could cause an international incident or domestic political turmoil.
—Al Pessin, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2025
The gaffe hinted at how the next few hours would play out.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Other Redditors chimed in on the spelling mistake, sharing their thoughts on the unusual gaffe.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
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Just like when Trump recently helped legitimize Maduro by sending White House special envoy Richard Grenell to meet with the Venezuelan dictator and pose in smiling pictures with him, Trump’s de facto abandonment of pro-democracy groups in the hemisphere is a major blunder.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
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Foreign policy is hard, but this is just a very big early blunder.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
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Don’t act too quickly though, because using your oven’s self-cleaning function could be a huge mistake.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The intended answer, 88 ounces, indicated that a programming or grading error had been made after the child had handed the paper over.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Maybe there are good reasons why Matty’s making so many unforced errors.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Given the political indiscretions and untrustworthy reputation of his then-opponent James G. Blaine, Cleveland was still successfully elected to the White House, becoming the 22nd president and the first Democrat elected after the Civil War.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
20 Jan. 2025
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Arsenal’s manager kept a list of Aubameyang’s indiscretions — many of them related to punctuality — and, eventually, the charge sheet was too long.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Anglers need both an angling license and a recreational turtle license to harvest turtles using angling gear like hook and line, landing nets and gaff hooks.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Privacy and cybersecurity training are supposed to prevent costly and embarrassing employee gaffs.—
Abigail Dubiniecki,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near gaffe
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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