1
as in blunders
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistakes
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
so-called debates, which seemed to be mainly about seeing which candidate made the most gaffes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaffes
No major gaffes to leave any of the contestants sprawled on the killing floor.
—
Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Morgan and Tilis want to give Panthers head coach Dave Canales the best roster possible, and the duo wasn’t afraid to dissect their previous gaffes to make sure that happened.
—Mike Kaye
april 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
His portrayal of academic life will leave real professors wincing, if not giggling … Despite the obvious research that Martel put into his novel, there are too many gaffes about Homer and Greek epic to persuade any expert.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Last Saturday alone, there were multiple gaffes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Athletic director Scott Barnes has made a series of gaffes in Corvallis.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Her predecessor, Geoff Morrell, was unpopular internally and connected to several gaffes that didn’t help Chapek’s rocky time at the helm.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ — Where did AOC commit gaffes on global stage?
—FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Republicans and some Democrats mocked her for gaffes.
—Elaine Mallon, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Morgan and Tilis want to give Panthers head coach Dave Canales the best roster possible, and the duo wasn’t afraid to dissect their previous gaffes to make sure that happened.
—Mike Kaye
april 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
His portrayal of academic life will leave real professors wincing, if not giggling … Despite the obvious research that Martel put into his novel, there are too many gaffes about Homer and Greek epic to persuade any expert.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Last Saturday alone, there were multiple gaffes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Athletic director Scott Barnes has made a series of gaffes in Corvallis.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Her predecessor, Geoff Morrell, was unpopular internally and connected to several gaffes that didn’t help Chapek’s rocky time at the helm.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ — Where did AOC commit gaffes on global stage?
—FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Republicans and some Democrats mocked her for gaffes.
—Elaine Mallon, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffes
Noun
-
Many similar blunders have been recorded in years past, including arguably the worst example, a disastrous decision three decades ago to overhaul how electricity was produced, distributed and priced.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Several real estate blunders exacerbated the situation.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, mistakes can also be corrected by simply indicating the correction on your original ballot.—
Hector Amezcua,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
These mistakes can sometimes increase the record's value.—
Nina Derwin,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hopefully his teammates and coaches realize the errors in their ways.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In December, Chelsea’s players looked inexplicably unprepared for the intensity of this long-time rivalry and were caught out via defensive errors.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to Becerra, actually, Democrats have done wonders for Californians with only a few minor indiscretions.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In this case, the arc of the season was primed for Batula to be the victim rising from the ashes of her divorce, only for her recent romantic indiscretions to shatter that fantasy.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Spurs on some of the chickens were cut excessively short to fit steel fighting gaffs and blades for more lethal fighting, deputies said.—
Timia Cobb,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Cockfighting draws scrutiny, too, with homes searched for steroids or gaffs — the sharp blades that get strapped to a fighting rooster’s feet.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
An attorney for Eastman had countered that his client wasn't trying to steal the election but was considering ways to delay electoral vote counting so states could investigate allegations of voting improprieties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
In 2018, after the Miami Herald published an investigation into Epstein’s crimes, the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) opened another investigation at the behest of Congress into possible improprieties involving Florida prosecutors.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaffes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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