fault line

noun

: something resembling a fault : split, rift
a major conceptual fault line in foreign policyMorton Kondracke

Examples of fault line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Previously, the creeping fault line was mapped along the edge of Lime Ridge, but it has now been found to travel under various neighborhoods, as well as through Valle Verde Elementary School, in Walnut Creek. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025 And here lies another emerging fault line: the role of Congress. Kristina Becvar, Twin Cities, 25 June 2025 The story garnered national attention and threw a spotlight on the fault lines of our criminal justice system. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025 The recent 12-day war exposed a fault line within the diaspora. Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fault line

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fault line was in 1869

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Cite this Entry

“Fault line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fault%20line. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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