student asking question

Is "by" the usual preposition that goes with "mistake?" What's is mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes! "By" is a usual preposition paired with "mistake." It means the way something happened through a mistake, by way of, or because of a mistake. It was not done purposefully or with intention. Ex: I broke the vase by mistake. Ex: So, by mistake, I slept in and missed my test.

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