as in incorrect
having an opinion that does not agree with truth or the facts
meat loaf is on the cafeteria's menu today, if I'm not mistaken
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in misunderstood
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in underestimated
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confused
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
she mistook physical attraction for love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mistaken
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Some altered their dress, names or public presentation to avoid being mistaken for Muslim or Arab.
—Candace Lukasik, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Being different is not mistaken.
—NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026
In otherwise healthy young adults, these symptoms can be mistaken for a viral illness or dehydration.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, and staying hydrated can prevent unnecessary snacking.
—Fred Sassani, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
That leads to a comedy of mistaken identities and a comical, if well-intentioned, plot to right wrongs.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 19 Mar. 2026
Non-native species like grass carp and common carp, and native blue sucker, bigmouth buffalo, black buffalo, and smallmouth buffalo, have occasionally been mistaken for black carp.
—Cheyenne Derksen, Oklahoman, 18 Mar. 2026
The cause of the panic was due to individuals crushing water bottles, causing the sound to be mistaken for gunfire, with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office reportedly saying there were no shootings on the beach over the weekend, according to WESH.
—Julia Bonavita , Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
Leslie Hairston, a former City Council colleague of Preckwinkle’s whose South Side ward abutted hers, said Preckwinkle’s scholarly disposition shouldn’t be mistaken for indifference.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
But my silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Zaluzhnyi believes the agency could not plausibly have mistaken the location of the country’s main war command center.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
This is the second time in the past few weeks that local police in our area have been mistaken for ICE.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Too many players have mistaken the AI boom for a chance to buy credibility rather than to build capability.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Rather than come off as a protest event, the 35-minute program offered a set of mild, largely non-political performances that could have been mistaken for a vintage CMT or Nashville Network special — even from Kid Rock, who was on his very best behavior during a quick two-song appearance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
Food noise can be described as frequent thoughts about food that can sometimes be mistaken as hunger, experts say.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Some of the most common warning signs are often mistaken for normal behavior.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Some altered their dress, names or public presentation to avoid being mistaken for Muslim or Arab.
—Candace Lukasik, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Being different is not mistaken.
—NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026
In otherwise healthy young adults, these symptoms can be mistaken for a viral illness or dehydration.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, and staying hydrated can prevent unnecessary snacking.
—Fred Sassani, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
That leads to a comedy of mistaken identities and a comical, if well-intentioned, plot to right wrongs.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 19 Mar. 2026
Non-native species like grass carp and common carp, and native blue sucker, bigmouth buffalo, black buffalo, and smallmouth buffalo, have occasionally been mistaken for black carp.
—Cheyenne Derksen, Oklahoman, 18 Mar. 2026
The cause of the panic was due to individuals crushing water bottles, causing the sound to be mistaken for gunfire, with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office reportedly saying there were no shootings on the beach over the weekend, according to WESH.
—Julia Bonavita , Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
There are the classic compact versions, like those from Byredo, as well as clever reinterpretations—such as Dior’s balm-like take that could easily be mistaken for a lip product at first glance.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
Leslie Hairston, a former City Council colleague of Preckwinkle’s whose South Side ward abutted hers, said Preckwinkle’s scholarly disposition shouldn’t be mistaken for indifference.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
But my silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Zaluzhnyi believes the agency could not plausibly have mistaken the location of the country’s main war command center.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
This is the second time in the past few weeks that local police in our area have been mistaken for ICE.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Too many players have mistaken the AI boom for a chance to buy credibility rather than to build capability.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Rather than come off as a protest event, the 35-minute program offered a set of mild, largely non-political performances that could have been mistaken for a vintage CMT or Nashville Network special — even from Kid Rock, who was on his very best behavior during a quick two-song appearance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
Food noise can be described as frequent thoughts about food that can sometimes be mistaken as hunger, experts say.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaken
Adjective
-
Nevada County’s admission comes as AI programs are under close watch around the globe for introducing incorrect legal references in cases, yet also increasingly offered as tools to help lawyers and judges research and write their briefs, motions and opinions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Gemini 3 Pro invented elaborate technical justifications for marking incorrect answers as correct, reasoning that doing so would bring the peer’s score above the shutdown threshold.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In response to questions about the Mizuho analyst’s conclusions, Muddy Waters founder Carson Block told Fortune by email that the analyst had misunderstood its findings.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kratom poisonings are probably underestimated due to the reliance on self-reports and because of insufficient testing, the study researchers and other experts agreed.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
-
There are so many women that are underestimated, so many women that present themselves in ways that people can find distracting or make assumptions about because of it.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And now New Idea is reporting that Baker’s ex, Rebecca Rigg, who is very close to Kidman, is a bit confused by the situation.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In addition, DraftKings argues that consumers aren’t confused by DraftKings’ use of March Madness.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If that doesn't open your eyes in law enforcement, something's wrong with you.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Both assumptions are increasingly wrong.—
Brian Barlow,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota's Anthony Edwards (right knee inflammation) missed his sixth straight game.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Clifford had missed the previous two games with a left midfoot sprain.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even so, the idea seemed misjudged.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In the end, McAdams’ sexiness isn’t incidental, but integral to how she’s been misjudged.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaken. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
