miscue
1 Americannoun
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Sports. a failure to execute a play, stroke, or maneuver properly; an error.
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Informal. a mistake.
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Informal. to make a mistake.
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Theater. to fail to answer one's cue or to answer another's cue.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
noun
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billiards a faulty stroke in which the cue tip slips off the cue ball or misses it altogether
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informal a blunder or mistake
verb
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(intr) billiards to make a miscue
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(intr) theatre to fail to answer one's own cue or answer the cue of another
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radio to start (a record or tape) at the wrong point
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informal (intr) to blunder
Etymology
Origin of miscue1
First recorded in 1880–85; mis- 1 + cue 1
Origin of miscue2
Vocabulary lists containing miscue
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That unfortunate miscue opened the door for the Royals to win the state title.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026
A successful meeting, and international diplomacy, can hinge on the slightest missed protocol, an unexpected miscue or even a bit of saliva left on a fork.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
He had Lions captain Tom Haines miscue to mid-on with the fifth ball he bowled then Bethell, who spent 15 balls on nought, pulled to square leg.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025
Alick Athanaze, who made 21, was the only wicket to fall when he attempted to loft a James Neesham delivery over mid-on only to miscue and be caught by Daryl Mitchell running back.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025
The slightest miscue by any one of them would mean catching a crab, and catastrophe.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Firstly, Maradona opened the scoring in the second half with his notorious 'hand of God' goal by punching a miscued back pass with his hand past Peter Shilton and into the net.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Shimron Hetmyer was dropped at mid-on by Corbin Bosch off the next delivery, but lasted only two more when he miscued to midwicket where Maharaj snapped up the catch.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
Smith had 60 when he miscued Mitchell Starc.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
Her innings ended off the penultimate ball, when she miscued Udeshika Prabodhani to long-on, but the damage had long been done.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2025
But I miscued, and he got going again.
From Here and Hereafter by Pain, Barry
They took three wickets in the powerplay, including Archer having the dangerous George Munsey and number three Brandon McMullen miscuing pulls in a lively opening spell of three overs, but Berrington countered impressively.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
But Crawley's dismissal, miscuing to point when advancing down the pitch to Axar Patel, was the signal for England to lose six wickets for 68 runs.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2024
Declan Rice, possibly West Ham’s best player this season, was at fault for the equalizer after miscuing his attempted headed clearance from a cross into the center of the area.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2022
Vilas c Moeen b Broad 26, South Africa 225-7 Vilas goes, holing out to Moeen on the backward square leg boundary after miscuing a shorter ball.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 14, 2016
Vilas goes, holing out to Moeen on the backward square leg boundary after miscuing a shorter ball.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 14, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
