misstep
/mɪsˈstɛp
/noun
1A clumsy or badly judged step: for a mountain goat one misstep could be fatal...
- First, the work was often dangerous and a misstep could quickly be fatal; walk through any old cemetery, you'll see that.
- I envy her recklessness, the roughness of her unpracticed pirouettes, the occasional clumsy misstep that inspires no apologies.
- We chose our steps wisely, not wanting to misstep when a slip could prove fatal.
1.1North American A mistake or blunder: his campaign has been a farrago of missteps and mixed messages...
- The panel called the question of bias one of the most ‘subjective and difficult’ they undertook as they examined the steps and missteps of reporting.
- That's why he recommends anticipating where things can go wrong and taking steps to prevent missteps.
- Competition keeps a paper on its toes - but it can also lead to clumsy missteps.
