mistake for

Idioms  

1. 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]

---

Example Sentences

Routinely forgetting to drop the bat would be a bizarre mistake for any teenage baseball phenom who spent his youth ensconced in the game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Ahead of boarding the plane on Tuesday night, Merz said Germany would continue its broader de-risking policy but that, "it would be a mistake for us to seek to decouple ourselves from China".

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

But if you look back, California has seen a lot more George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis types, which is to say bland-persona governors whom no one would mistake for box-office gold.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

"What was approved yesterday constitutes a historic mistake for Europe, because competitiveness is ensured by sustainability, not by loosening our commitments," he said during a climate conference in Madrid.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

It is a big mistake for me to be here.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan