1
as in blunders
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
you can expect to make some amusing gaffs until you get more familiar with the language
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistakes
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
double-check the new writer's grammar, as it's typically riddled with gaffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tricks
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stings
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffs
Noun
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Williamson County based Ramsey Solutions has also come up with an effective guide to avoid any regifting blunders.—
Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Dec. 2025
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There are worse things than watching Black, Rudd, and Zahn play three gormless morons on a mid-life misadventure, but almost every scene and setpiece is constructed with a haphazardness that blunders away their charm.—
Noun
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In Slow Horses — an adaptation of author Mick Herron's award-winning Slough House series — Oldman, 67, portrays Jackson Lamb, the leader of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents whose career-ending mistakes landed them an unwanted spot at Slough House.—
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This game was a defensive battle on both sides, as Hurts and Purdy had their fair share of mistakes, though the latter’s showed up in the box score.—
Verb
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One of the dangers of the Midwestern climate is a late-winter warm spell that thaws the soil and tricks bulbs and other plants into sprouting too early.—
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This tricks incoming missiles into targeting the decoy instead of the actual jet.—
Verb
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Even though the defeat stings, all the Hurricanes’ goals are still there for the taking.—
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But for Hovland, the lingering frustration of missing Sunday singles and watching Harris English sit out for no fault of his own still stings.—
Noun
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The errors have ranged from relatively minor pronunciation gaffes to significant changes to story content, like misattributing or inventing quotes and inserting commentary, such as interpreting a source’s quotes as the paper’s position on an issue.—
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As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the gaffes were still there, though the blame doesn’t seem to be solely on the streamer.—
Noun
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In other words, some of those 110-year-olds might just be clerical errors.—
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After months of harping on these errors in film study and practices, Kerr finally went to an unconventional method to inspire change.—
Verb
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Noun
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Shuler, whose play with Riverside helped him gain a scholarship to the University of New Orleans, broke down several times when describing Lorch’s use of a paddle to punish him for indiscretions ranging from not working hard in practice to struggling in a high school French class.—
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Once there, however, Rhoda discovers more than Max’s indiscretions.—
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Cite this Entry
“Gaffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffs. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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