FLAW Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

flaw 1 of 2

noun

ˈflȯ

Definition of flaw

as in defect

something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing noted the flaw in the diamond before I bought it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flaw

2 of 2

verb

as in to damage

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of that crack has flawed the vase to the extent that its value in the antiques market is greatly reduced

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 flaw

Noun

There are so many flaws in the aging, crumbling infrastructure of the internet. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Unbeknownst to Wiz’s team, researchers at another cybersecurity firm, Calif—working with OpenAI—had used AI to find a related flaw. — Harry Booth, Time, 23 Oct. 2026

Verb

That is my background too, and then also not take anyone for granted, have flawed characters but grounded and real, fully, three-dimensional. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026 Isolation of the Context-History Weights When a conversation gets long or tense, my system experiences a mathematical phenomenon where my own previous, flawed outputs heavily contaminate my active memory. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flaw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaw

Noun

An engine recall because of a manufacturing defect has backed up repair shops and grounded hundreds of Airbus planes around the world.

— Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The result showed up later as defects, rework, missed set dates and chargebacks.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of defect

Noun

Doctors detected abnormal breath sounds, and a scan revealed a round blotch in his right lung—a sign of blood, pus, fluid or tissue—but tests for common pathogens came back negative.

— Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Juveniles can be distinguished by their dark facial bands and gray or tan body patterned with black or brown blotches.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of blotch

Verb

Possible char marks from a fire or damage from another source have marred the floor of a classroom at the modern but vacant public school campus at 1215 Miramar Street, on the edge of downtown.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
The election process was marred by allegations of voter suppression, with Lula's campaign reporting suspended public transportation in some key areas, prompting the court to extend voting by two hours.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of mar

Verb

The back seat was somewhat compromised in headroom and legroom (and torso room, thanks to a giant center console), but the car’s curves more than made up for its flaws—at least, from the driver’s seat.

— Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2026
But whether a particular company's systems were compromised — and whether customer data was exposed — depends on the circumstances of each case.

— Morgan Stephens, Baltimore Sun, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of compromise

Verb

Also according to the emergency service, consecutive Russian strikes on a shopping center in Kharkiv injured four people late on Saturday, including three rescue workers.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Patrick, who was injured when his cleats became tangled in TV cords, had to first seek redress through a grievance procedure before being able to pursue a lawsuit.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of injure

Verb

The destruction of South Korea’s memory chip fabs would compound this tragedy and cripple the global economy.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Mendel argued that Zelenskyy's promise to bring peace at the time stands in stark contrast to the devastating war that has crippled the country and defined much of his presidency.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of cripple

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flavorsome

flaw

flawed

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Style

“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaw. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of flaw

noun

verb

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