as in imperfect
capable of making mistakes or being wrong
She was a perfectionist who failed to realize that humans are inherently fallible.
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Recent Examples of fallible
Rather than operating on hearsay or memory, both of which are highly fallible, a flowchart outlines precisely what each section of a team is doing and allows everyone to work together in greater synchrony.
—
William Jones, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
As written by Kelley (in his first non-crime drama in over a decade), Fanning’s titular lead is smart but fallible.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
That makes the killers kind of human and fallible and clumsy, and these movies get a lot of mileage out of the slapstick shenanigans of their slasher chases.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Advertisement The fallible quad god Skating.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fallible
William Jones, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
As written by Kelley (in his first non-crime drama in over a decade), Fanning’s titular lead is smart but fallible.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
That makes the killers kind of human and fallible and clumsy, and these movies get a lot of mileage out of the slapstick shenanigans of their slasher chases.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Advertisement The fallible quad god Skating.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fallible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallible
Adjective
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So any plan to keep the supporters of rival teams apart will be imperfect.—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Share something imperfect, and let joy lead excellence this time.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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When an audience member posed a hypothetical choice between a flawed but distinctive film and a polished but unremarkable one, Leung said either would do, arguing that cinema’s goal was sincerity, in performance or in a director’s expression, rather than polish.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
20 June 2026
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By the time the tournament reached Argentina four years later, though, the Dutch were not quite the slick — if defensively-flawed — outfit that played in 1974.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order and ordered that the planes be turned around, but Justice Department attorneys said his oral instructions directing the flight to be returned were defective, and the deportations proceeded as planned.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
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For generations, Americans have debated consumer protection through the lens of defective products, predatory lenders, unsafe food, and identity theft.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fallible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallible. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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