false step

American  

noun

1. a stumble.

2. an unwise or blundering act.

---

false step British  

noun

1. an unwise action

2. a stumble; slip

---

false step Idioms  

1. A stumble or blunder, as in Making a down payment without securing a mortgage was clearly a false step. This term transfers physical stumbling or tripping to other enterprises. [c. 1700]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

false step

In retrospect, its uncompromising litmus tests and chilly demeanor were real weaknesses, creating a pervading fear that any false step could expel one from good graces, and that a return trip was always, always treacherous.

From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026

Rather, it’s the poignant devastation of knowing one false step or bad decision could reshape your life that knocks us over.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

Instead of jumping into his assignment right away, Rivera said, Davis could have baited the lineman with an intentionally false step, forced him to overcommit and used his athleticism to evade the block altogether.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 14, 2022

But in his mind, he was just one false step from going right back to prison.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2019

It’s worth looking at this false step before discussing Descartes’s influence in areas where he was more right than wrong.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin