as in imperfect
having a fault
promptly took the defective microwave oven back to the store for a replacement
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defective
The footage shows Coyote hiring billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte) and his legal team to sue the Acme corporation — represented by its slick corporate counsel, Buddy Crane (John Cena) — for its defective products.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
In 2020, a plant on the construction site produced defective concrete that was used for three months before anyone noticed, according to another lawsuit.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
But while some looked for the gene, Welsh studied the structure and inner workings of defective CF cells using salt as a guide star.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
And a cohort of American consumers, siding with the plaintiff, determined that the platforms are defective products, distributed to the public without proper safeguards or warnings about their potential harms.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defective
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
In 2020, a plant on the construction site produced defective concrete that was used for three months before anyone noticed, according to another lawsuit.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
But while some looked for the gene, Welsh studied the structure and inner workings of defective CF cells using salt as a guide star.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
And a cohort of American consumers, siding with the plaintiff, determined that the platforms are defective products, distributed to the public without proper safeguards or warnings about their potential harms.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defective
Adjective
-
One version of the nation’s history anchors itself in the efforts to navigate those tempests, to better the imperfect tools bequeathed to us by imperfect men.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Instead, locking one of today's imperfect rates may be the better move to protect against the market unknowns still ahead.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Or worse, to turn it into a sort of prison sentence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Still, from his horns and tattoos to the double-bladed lightsaber, Maul's bad-guy chic was hard to beat.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Nuggets are fundamentally flawed.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
-
DeSantis said the 2020 census was flawed and undercounted people in the state.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
After a faulty cooling system was left to disrepair, rising temperatures resulted in an explosion with the equivalent force of 70-100 tons of TNT.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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Other possibilities include faulty wheel speed sensors or a brake pedal switch that’s intermittently failing.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These pests and diseases can commonly be managed through removal and destruction of damaged tissue.—
Emily Leahy,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
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Spores from infected leaves and blooms can invade pruning wounds and damaged tissue.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Holland revealed Fiala might have been ready to return from his broken leg if the Kings had advanced to the second round.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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