1
a
: a defect in physical structure or form
a diamond with a flaw
b
: an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness
vanity was the flaw in his character
a flaw in the book's plot
2
obsolete
: fragment
flawed; flawing; flaws
: to become defective
1
: a sudden brief burst of wind
the wind changed with flaws from westward—
Archibald MacLeish
Archibald MacLeish
also
: a spell of stormy weather
2
obsolete
: an outburst especially of passion
Examples of flaw in a Sentence
Noun (1)
noted the flaw in the diamond before I bought it
Verb
that crack has flawed the vase to the extent that its value in the antiques market is greatly reduced
Recent Examples on the Web
Connor Greene, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Like biological cancers, these flaws often spread silently, compromise system integrity and, if left untreated, can cause irreparable harm.
—Sagar Gupta, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Bram Ebus, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
The Court of Cassation found that the murder investigation had been flawed from the start.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flaw
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Other organizations and scientists have refuted the DOE’s review, including the American Meteorological Society, which highlighted further flaws in the report and urged a correction of the findings by the agency.
—Connor Greene, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Like biological cancers, these flaws often spread silently, compromise system integrity and, if left untreated, can cause irreparable harm.
—Sagar Gupta, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
Past attempts at crop substitution failed due to bureaucratic hurdles, missing funds, and flawed agricultural projects.
—Bram Ebus, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
The Court of Cassation found that the murder investigation had been flawed from the start.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flaw
Cite this Entry
“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaw. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flaw
1 of 2 noun
: a small often hidden defect
flawless
adjective
-ləs
flawlessly
adverb
flawlessness
noun
flaw
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become defective
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