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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

fault

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun fault differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fault are failing, foible, frailty, and vice. While all these words mean "an imperfection or weakness of character," fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

When could failing be used to replace fault?

The words failing and fault can be used in similar contexts, but failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

When might foible be a better fit than fault?

Although the words foible and fault have much in common, foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

In what contexts can frailty take the place of fault?

While the synonyms frailty and fault are close in meaning, frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

When is it sensible to use vice instead of fault?

The synonyms vice and fault are sometimes interchangeable, but vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fault
Noun
And if the world is not designed for you or accepting of you or amenable to you, that is the fault of the world. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025 His 2024 production fell off through no fault of his own. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
One board member defended the district’s decision, while another faulted it. Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 15 Apr. 2025 Cohen faulted big law firms for not standing up to Trump as they would be expected to do for any of their clients. Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fault
Noun
  • With a newfound sense of self, Murderbot is forced to hide its disgust for human weakness and emotion.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 May 2025
  • Proton Mail encourages you to save a recovery key in the form of a lengthy code and a QR code, but that recovery key itself now becomes a weakness.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Treating it like a cause-and-effect explanation mistakes the scoreboard for the game.
    Alexander William Salter, National Review, 9 May 2025
  • Now in the context of the very obvious dropping of moral guardrails around international relations, other countries will be less bound by a sense of world order, emboldened by an arms race, and will start to take risks and make mistakes.
    Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Trump took a swipe at the Biden administration, placing part of the blame on former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2025
  • Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a good look for retailers, especially for Republican-leaning customers who stand behind Trump’s policies.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Isaac soon betrays and murders the soldiers, including Peck's character, and defects to the Washington Liberation Front.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 6 May 2025
  • In the new suit, lawyers for the board presented a detailed explanation of defects in the tower that emerged from the start.
    Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Noun
  • Your routines, responsibilities, employment or health could have all budded happily.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • The pain of loss and the pain of (some) responsibility for ending a Cup run must be overwhelming.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The late pope criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.
    Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • Several Democratic members of Congress criticized her firing.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • Each name is steeped in its own history and connotations, linked to the achievements or failings of the previous popes or saints who carried it.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
  • Tshisekedi’s party often blames outside forces for failings of its own making, and is affiliated with mobs of young men, known as the Forces of Progress, who have been accused of bullying his opponents.
    Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Garcia, who denies gang membership, had an immigration court order protecting him from deportation, which the administration acknowledged was an administrative error.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Look for errors online or by going to the assessor’s office.
    LEW SICHELMAN, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fault. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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