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
According to a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company cites defective electrical switches that control the locking and release functions.
—
Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
That federal case involves Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snap, and centers on allegations that the companies built defective apps that resulted in teens and children developing unhealthy and addictive behaviors.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
And beyond apparent agency, the jury didn’t find the company to be negligent or have defective safety systems.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
The Associated Press reported that the jury didn’t find Uber to be negligent or have defective safety systems.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defective
Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
That federal case involves Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snap, and centers on allegations that the companies built defective apps that resulted in teens and children developing unhealthy and addictive behaviors.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
And beyond apparent agency, the jury didn’t find the company to be negligent or have defective safety systems.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
The Associated Press reported that the jury didn’t find Uber to be negligent or have defective safety systems.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defective
Adjective
-
That’s where the coffee table-worthy, perfectly imperfect books live, according to Plaisier.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
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But even an imperfect liberal arts education left me with an appreciation of its value.—
Lloyd Blankfein,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The dragon is said to scare away bad spirits and bring good luck.—
Staff report,
Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
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Weapon system autonomously detects and classifies moving targets The company revealed that the weapon system autonomously detects and classifies moving targets in poor visibility situations caused by darkness, bad weather, smoke or dust kicked up by helicopters.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Isaacman stated that while Boeing manufactured the troubled spacecraft, the ultimate responsibility lies with NASA for accepting a flawed vehicle and risking the lives of two astronauts.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
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The past two months have featured several high-profile data points that show the way college athletes earn money is flawed.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The contract scrutiny has been blamed for numerous delays across government, such as delays in providing emergency response during a disaster, clearance to repair faulty plumbing in a weather service office or authorizations for wildlife biologists to conduct field work.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
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The past four years of conflict have exposed more than one faulty assumption, not least the previously widespread belief even among Kyiv’s allies that Ukraine would be too weak, too disorganized, to resist a full-scale invasion.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For all species, dead or damaged branches can be removed at any time.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2026
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Immediately turn off the circuit breaker for the affected area and look for flickering lights, burn marks or damaged outlets.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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In February 2025, NASA hired an independent team to determine why the mission failed, examining everything from broken hardware to leadership mistakes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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