mistake for

Take someone or something for someone or something else, as in I'm sorry, I mistook you for her sister, or Don't mistake that friendly smile for good intentions; he's a tough competitor. [c. 1600]

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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.

The warnings come as the leader of the UK's biggest trade union Christina McAnea said it would be a "huge mistake" for the government to water down its Employment Rights Bill, which is due to become law in a few weeks.

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The leader of the UK's biggest trade union has warned it would be a "huge mistake" for the government to water down its Employment Rights Bill, which is due to become law in the next few weeks.

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Official Michael Salisbury has been dropped for Sunday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Arsenal after Professional Game Match Officials Limited said it was a mistake for the video assistant referee to disallow Fulham's opening goal at Chelsea on Saturday.

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Few players who started last night's game put forward a convincing case for selection against Burnley, including midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who completed the full 90 minutes, and goalkeeper Andre Onana, whose mistake for Grimsby's second goal made a bad situation worse.

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“I really think it’s a mistake for him to break from the president,” Vance said in an interview with the far-right website Gateway Pundit.