as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
according to an oft-told story, the queen set a guest at ease about a faux pas by politely imitating it
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Recent Examples of faux pas
During a Monday, June 2, appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the 73-year-old Hacks star opened up about making a bit of a faux pas when she got dressed for the meeting, which all centered around her pants.
—
Michael Nied, People.com, 3 June 2025
Their shenanigans go far beyond an occasional faux pas.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 June 2025
And one study found that compared to other faux pas, foul language is more forgivable in a robot.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 June 2025
However, is gifting secondhand good seen as thoughtful or a faux pas?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Michael Nied, People.com, 3 June 2025
Their shenanigans go far beyond an occasional faux pas.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 June 2025
And one study found that compared to other faux pas, foul language is more forgivable in a robot.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 June 2025
However, is gifting secondhand good seen as thoughtful or a faux pas?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faux pas
Noun
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Read on for some of the most common nutrition mistakes sports dietitians see that wreak havoc on people’s workouts—plus what to do instead.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
9 July 2025
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Such complacency could be a mistake, as some market watchers have cautioned.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
9 July 2025
Noun
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Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández made run-scoring defensive blunders in the outfield.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
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Whereas the Pacers had their lowest giveaway total of the championship round in Game 6, OKC had its highest turnover game of the playoffs, with 23 blunders leading to 32 Indiana points.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
20 June 2025
Noun
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High-profile cases have shown that spreadsheet errors can cost companies millions.—
Aleksandra Bal,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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Unforced error after unforced error plagued the team.—
Emma Moon,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faux pas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faux%20pas. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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