1
as in weakness
a defect in character
the common fault of being quick to judge others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
there's a fault somewhere in the program
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
getting the time of the performance wrong was entirely my fault
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the minor faults in the leather are entirely natural and are what gives it a look different from vinyl
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right
the investigator determined that the auto accident was entirely the other driver's fault
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to blame
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
you should look at your own work before faulting what others have done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fault
Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Hanley had acknowledged her faults in previous hearings, 7News reports.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
Republicans blame Democrats for opposing their clean spending package, while Democrats fault Republicans for rejecting their own bill, which sought to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fault
Noun
Van Orden's visit to the Salvation Army center comes after Democrats last week visited food pantries in Madison and Milwaukee to raise awareness of how the shutdown and to paint Republicans as at fault.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Hanley had acknowledged her faults in previous hearings, 7News reports.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
Meng Wei, a marine geologist and geophysicist at the University of Rhode Island, says the idea that fault systems near each other could synchronize has been floating around for years and has been seen at smaller fault boundaries over short periods.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
Republicans blame Democrats for opposing their clean spending package, while Democrats fault Republicans for rejecting their own bill, which sought to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fault
Noun
-
Ancelotti and Zidane certainly had their own tactical ideas, but were also pragmatic and based game plans primarily on the characteristics (strengths and weaknesses) of the squad made available to them.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Dodgers' bullpen is one of their weaknesses, meaning the team is asking a lot from starters.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That’s because investors often interpret diversity crises as signs of systemic failure, rather than isolated mistakes.—
Prachi Gala,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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Same for Dax Hill, focusing on going back to work and correcting mistakes.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Stolarz shouldn’t shoulder all the blame for allowing four goals through two periods.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
On both sides of the ball, the Jets haven't been able to get enough done, but more of the blame falls on the offense.—
Jon Conahan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Demi, who was born and raised in South Africa, had a half-sister, Franje Peters, with a congenital brain defect.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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When the wafer is rinsed, these clumps redeposit onto the surface, causing the defects.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That gap creates an opportunity—and a responsibility—for leadership.—
Kelly Jones,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The title refers to the blame placed on working women tacitly assigned responsibility for their kids as well as their jobs, an assumption that becomes explicit in a time of crisis.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Local and state officials criticized the immigration operation in the area Friday.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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Leipold said after a long pause, referencing fines for criticizing officiating.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Everyday absurdities, moral failings and big-city tension carry a pointed social sting.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
-
There were festering family vendettas; botched forensics; staggering police failings.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That does leave retailers less margin for error and requires a better mastery of data analytics to improve demand forecasting—making sure that what is on offer matches what shoppers want.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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Kelly did not disclose what structural engineering issues the building had, but said that the company's structural engineering firm informed Amazon of its error in a statement without elaborating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fault. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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