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Meaning & use

misstepped

verb·Advanced

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UK/ˌmɪsˈstept/
US/ˌmɪsˈstept/

“misstepped” is a form of “misstep”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meaning

  1. verbintransitive

    Made a mistake or took a wrong step, especially in judgment or behavior.

    Grammar: No object: you misstep, or you misstep in something. The base form is 'misstep' and it is regular: misstep, misstepped, misstepped.

    Patterns

    • misstep in something
    • misstep on an issue
    • misstep badly

    The mayor misstepped when she ignored the reporters' questions.

    He misstepped once in the interview and never recovered.

    The company misstepped badly by raising prices during a recession.

Word forms

base formmisstep
third person singularmissteps
present participlemisstepping
past tensemisstepped
past participlemisstepped

Common combinations

misstep badly
The senator misstepped badly with that joke.
misstep in public
Celebrities often misstep in public and pay for it online.
misstep on the campaign trail
He misstepped on the campaign trail and lost support.

Synonyms and how they differ

err
More formal and often used for moral or technical mistakes; 'misstep' suggests a wrong move in a public or practical situation.
slip up
Informal and milder; 'misstep' sounds more serious and is common in news writing.
blunder
Stronger and suggests a big, embarrassing mistake, while 'misstepped' can describe a small wrong move.

Word family

misstep noun
A wrong step or mistake, as in 'a serious misstep'.

Commonly confused: misstepped or mistyped?

misstepped vs mistyped

'Mistyped' means typed something incorrectly on a keyboard, while 'misstepped' means made a wrong move or mistake.

Practice

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