Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"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

He tells us about the origins of tumbleweeds and how they roll; why Ogden Nash mocked the oboe; what napalm is and what it does; and why it’s a mistake for scientists to write in Esperanto.

From The Wall Street Journal

"As many of you, I have not slept, and probably this has not helped, as well as my advanced age," said Correa do Lago, in his mid-sixties, apologizing as he blamed an honest mistake for missing Colombia's point of order.

From Barron's

If someone pointed out a mistake—for he was human—he thanked them.

From The Wall Street Journal

It also feels like a mistake for Pep Guardiola to ignore the rise in the importance in set-pieces - City are the only Premier League team not to score from one this season.

From BBC