1
as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
you can expect to make some amusing gaffs until you get more familiar with the language
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blunder
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
double-check the new writer's grammar, as it's typically riddled with gaffs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to trick
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
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
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Recent Examples of gaff
Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
Monday, the frontman, 73, recalled the gaff, explaining that he was sent a tune written by the legendary folk-rock singer during the heyday of Lewis' band, Huey Lewis and the News, but never acted on it.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
But, despite those gaffs, robotics firms pressed on and now several believe their walking machines could work alongside human manufacturing workers in only a few short years.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
That starts with careful gaff placement to avoid ruining meat.
—Tom Fowlks, Outdoor Life, 1 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaff 
Noun
Here are its scariest safety scandals Some fliers are thinking twice as scandals and gaffs pile up
Start Slideshow
The world got an uncomfortable reminder about the need to scrutinize air travel last January when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight 16,000 feet over Portland, Oregon.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
Monday, the frontman, 73, recalled the gaff, explaining that he was sent a tune written by the legendary folk-rock singer during the heyday of Lewis' band, Huey Lewis and the News, but never acted on it.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
But, despite those gaffs, robotics firms pressed on and now several believe their walking machines could work alongside human manufacturing workers in only a few short years.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
That starts with careful gaff placement to avoid ruining meat.
—Tom Fowlks, Outdoor Life, 1 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaff
Noun
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The Sharks scored first at Madison Square Garden but couldn’t overcome their mistakes in the latter half of the second, allowing three unanswered goals in less than five minutes in a frustrating 3-2 loss to the Rangers in the third game of a four-game road trip.Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Surprisingly, Danni doesn’t see it as a mistake and would kiss him again.Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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As Claude leaves a weirdly nonspecific voicemail for Valentina in the next room (another classic blunder), Roselyn scoops some cyanide-containing silver polish out of its container on his desk and stirs it briskly into his tea.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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Juan Soto made a key fielding blunder in the bottom of the fifth that turned a Kiké Hernández double into a three-bagger, and Aaron Judge’s bat continues to be a non-factor in this postseason.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The tools take advantage of Generative adversarial networks, which, in essence, try to trick the AI algorithm with incorrect (i.e., adversarial) data.PCMAG, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
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The stunning corruption scheme finally came to an end in September 2013, when authorities tricked his NCIS mole into thinking the most serious investigations had been closed and then invited Francis to San Diego for a meeting with Navy officials.Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The activation comes amid a particularly tense election year, with former President Trump, the Republican nominee, already claiming that Democrats are cheating.Brad Dress, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
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The post comes as Trump has for days basely accused the key battleground state of cheating.Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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While not massively common, losing your kit due to a loading error is very frustrating in a game like Tarkov, so any improvements to reduce the chances of that happening are always going to be a positive.Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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The results were delayed further because of a tabulation error, though both parties were consulted on the decision to recount nearly 30,000 ballots.Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Don't be fooled: the CFP's rankings are what determines whether a team will be in the playoffs.Ross Terrell, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
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The defendants’ last-minute attempt to rebrand their ER reboot as The Pitt is not fooling anyone.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Ahead of Election Day coming up on Tuesday Nov. 5, the hip-hop hitmaker delivered a fiery speech that lasted nearly 10 minutes, complete with stinging soundbites and her signature, seemingly off-the-cuff swagger at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb outside Milwaukee.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
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The decision means audiences can expect Stewart to continue needling lawmakers as well as a future President Kamala Harris or Donald Trump with his stinging commentary and satire well into their first year in office.Liam Reilly, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The district still leans red, and Hurd, an attorney, is a more temperate conservative than his predecessor, with fewer gaffes.Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
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With the race widely believed to be on a knife-edge, some pundits suggested the gaffe could be fatal to the Trump campaign, in part because there is a significant Puerto Rican community in the key state of Pennsylvania.Shane Croucher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Gaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaff. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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