mistaken 1 of 2

adjective

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

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mistaken

2 of 2

verb

past participle of mistake
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

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2
as in underestimated
to make an incorrect judgment regarding you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily

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3
as in confused
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related she mistook physical attraction for love

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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
Adjective
An agent may have broader access or authority than its assignment requires, which can enable a mistaken or malicious instruction to trigger a payment, expose sensitive information or disrupt an essential system. — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 After a resolution or a mistaken filing, withdrawal may make sense; preserve the original notice alongside the withdrawal record. — Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 Flávio Bolsonaro, perched atop a sound truck at a recent campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro’s working-class suburbs, could at first glance be mistaken for his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest. — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2026 Sometimes victims are mistaken as the abuser and taken into custody. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026 No additional shots were fired after police arrived, Lorah said, adding that sounds later mistaken for gunfire came from flash-bang devices used by SWAT officers. — Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The slip-ons have a clog-like feel, but the low-profile silhouette looks so luxurious—honestly, they could be mistaken for The Row. — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 11 Oct. 2026 Sneakers are also generally off-limits, as are white, ivory, and anything that could be mistaken for bridal (a rule at every wedding, of course, but worth repeating). — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 Much of Bread & Butter was made with reverence for the path Droog’s taken, from his early days of mistaken identity to rhyming with Madlib on The Tonight Show. — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
My assumption that the guest speakers’ anti-Communist insurrection might resonate with today’s youth and their antisystem rebellion proved to be mistaken. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026 These behaviors can be signals of distress but may be mistaken for defiance. — Jermaine F. Williams, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026 Some health officials worry they can be mistaken by young consumers for candy or gum. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 In retrospect, Radziwiłł said, mathematicians who study the branch of number theory that all this work belongs to were mistaken in thinking that their tools weren’t strong enough to resolve the quasi-Riemann hypothesis. — Quanta Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026 Those symptoms were consistent with acrylamide exposure, Suyama said, adding these could easily be mistaken for a neurodegenerative disease. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Talking was correctly identified only 55% of the time and was mistaken for eating in 37% of cases. — New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026 The Houthis appear to have mistaken Saudi restraint for an inability to act. — Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Note Cockroach droppings are also commonly mistaken for mouse droppings, as they are similarly sized and also oval-shaped. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaken
  1. incorrect
  2. misunderstood
  3. underestimated
  4. confused
  5. wrong
  6. missed
  7. misjudged
Adjective
  • Use safer payment methods When shopping online, paying with a credit card generally gives you stronger protections if an order never arrives or a charge is incorrect.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The figures represent requests for financial assistance, not necessarily complaints about incorrect water bills.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of incorrect
Verb
  • Reward prediction error reflects a discrepancy in the outcome or goal and, in the NVA system, can indicate that the AI has misunderstood what the person ultimately wanted.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Mangione's attorneys then fired back Monday in a response to the DA's office's letter, saying prosecutors had misunderstood their position.
    — Greg Wehner , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of misunderstood
Verb
  • But the contribution of the offensive line — center Aaron Brewer, left guard Kadyn Proctor, left tackle Patrick Paul, right guard Jonah Savaiinaea and right tackle Austin Jackson — in both the pass game and run game shouldn’t be underestimated.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Ebola outbreak that began in DR Congo is becoming a continental crisis after authorities initially underestimated its spread, the head of Africa’s public health agency told Semafor as new cases were reported as far afield as Nigeria.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of underestimated
Verb
  • Rosa got confused and brought up the glass of red to Carolyn’s cabin instead.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Christina Applegate’s recent revelation that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis is raising questions about how the disease can be confused with other conditions even after years of treatment.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • Without it, the language model is a very expensive way to write faster emails to the wrong people.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Those chats tended to include what was going right or wrong or could be better.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Verb
  • Sexton, who missed all five preseason games, was a full participant in practice Monday and did not suffer a setback, Redick said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • When working as a rural OB-GYN, Marshall sued over 700 patients, leading to 81 arrests when patients missed court dates and failed to repay their bills.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of missed
Verb
  • Some have misjudged the strength of the surface mat, stepping in the wrong place or breaking through into the cold water below.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Jorrel Hato misjudged the flight of the delivery, allowing Belloumi to emphatically half-volley a shot into the bottom corner.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of misjudged

Browse Nearby Words

mistake
mistaken
mistakenly
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Cite this Entry

“Mistaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaken. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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