mistake for

Idioms

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.

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

Declan Rice was making all these runs too, bursting forward to try to make amends for his mistake for Tottenham's equaliser, so there was all sorts going on.

From BBC

It would be a grave mistake for him to burn even more bridges with European leaders.

From Barron's

Babbitt said he believes it would be a mistake for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to “try to impose a long-term solution” by ordering major water cuts across the Southwest — which would likely set off a lengthy court battle.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023