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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misjudged
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 mistook
Digging into their Nordic roots, Ida and Filip also built a sauna, which some confused members of the local community initially mistook for a giant bread oven.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
No one, except maybe kids too young to remember the 20th century, mistook Stranger Things for being original.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
One example is an AI detection software that mistook a bag of Doritos for a gun, resulting in a large police response.
—James Densley, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Another employee mistook the pitcher of cleaning fluid for juice and poured it into three residents’ glasses, prosecutors said.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2025
Sorkin’s brand of idealism suddenly felt like science fiction — an elegy for a republic that mistook grift for governance.
—Alexis Coe, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
The cohosting couple kicked off Wednesday's show by discussing a round of global headlines, including a dog named Mouse who recently shocked the residents of Ireland who mistook him for a lion because of his strange haircut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Nov. 2025
Police drew guns on a student outside a Baltimore County high school after an artificial intelligence system mistook his snack for a firearm.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Though not much is known about their relationship, the famed Sex and the City actress had played into a funny moment when 60 Minutes mistook her for Justin's mother, Margaret, in a retrospective.
—Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
-
So both sides have misunderstood his constituency.—
-
Many patients are surprised to learn that watery eyes can actually be a sign of dryness, a common but frequently misunderstood symptom.—
Verb
-
Obviously her life is very different from Claire, but did Kate Hudson relate to feeling undervalued or misjudged?—
-
Haaland missed two chances in the first half, while Foden misjudged two big openings late on, failing to execute a simple low ball across to Haaland and then opting for a difficult through ball to the Norwegian rather than spotting the free man Cherki on his right.—
Verb
-
Sassounian, for his part, doesn’t think there’s any risk the two California Couriers would ever be confused with each other.—
-
Many of the event’s attendees were confused about — or ignorant of — what had occurred on the other side of the court house.—
Verb
-
Four players didn’t travel with the team to New Orleans, including Christian Braun, who missed his second consecutive game.—
-
Last week, Sports Business Journal reported Main Street Sports Group — which carries the games of 29 NBA, MLB and NHL teams under the name FanDuel Sports Network — missed its January payments to numerous undisclosed NBA teams.—
Verb
-
Being underestimated became part of the education.—
-
The next time new science reveals that a chemical is much more toxic, or that the amount of pollution released from a factory had been underestimated and would cause legally unacceptable health risks, the agency would not be able to react.—
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
