- past tense form of mistake.
mistook
Americanverb
verb
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.
Meta apologized for suspending the primary Instagram account of No Kings protest organizers on a day of events around the country, saying it mistook activity by a Claude tool for bot traffic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
During a nighttime field survey, researchers initially mistook the animal for a mushroom, highlighting just how convincing its disguise is.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
In another close encounter, while filming underwater a hungry walrus mistook him for a seal and took hold of his legs.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
At least 59 detainees were freed because the system mistook them for other people.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
It was Jimmy Fioretos, who in his panic mistook my voice for my mother’s.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
