as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
noted the flaw in the diamond before I bought it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flaw
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
After journalists and security researchers discovered and detailed these flaws, Microsoft delayed the Recall rollout by almost a year and substantially overhauled its security.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2026
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Player recruitment was muddled, managerial appointments flawed (Remi Garde lasted 147 days in that relegation season) and the team underperformed.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaw
Noun
Such flaws have made early-life reviews common among LCS, something that is not broadly true among the Navy’s much larger and far more sophisticated Burke-class destroyers.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
After journalists and security researchers discovered and detailed these flaws, Microsoft delayed the Recall rollout by almost a year and substantially overhauled its security.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
In addition to the pious, persevering Goma and flawed Chandravati in the mortal realm, in the divine realm there are the goddesses Sati and her reincarnation as Parvati.
—Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Player recruitment was muddled, managerial appointments flawed (Remi Garde lasted 147 days in that relegation season) and the team underperformed.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaw
Noun
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She was born with a congenial heart defect that required her to have open-heart surgery in the first week of her life.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
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The potential seat belt defect affects certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 models, 2023-2026 Genesis G90 vehicles and 2024-2026 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid models.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Washington’s version of McCall is disciplined but damaged, and possibly afflicted with something like obsessive-compulsive disorder.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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In fact, Gerrod Moore, a brand manager of Maytag advises against uninformed stainless steel cleaning experimentation, because some kitchen cleaning go-to's like bleach, glass cleaner, abrasive cleaners, and steel wool may damage the metal.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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The eggs vary in color—from white to blue to brown—with speckles, blotches, and other markings and are also distinctive in shape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But her career has been marred by high-profile incidents — including being photographed in 2007 with a freshly shaven head hitting a car with an umbrella.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
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Sunday’s vote was marred by delays in distributing electoral materials in several districts of Lima, forcing authorities to extend voting into Monday.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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James said nothing changes in his preparation from the regular season to the postseason, even when a looming battle against Rockets star Kevin Durant might reopen old playoff scars on Saturday night.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Pasco was described as a white man with a prominent scar on the right side of his face.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Five private chefs to fearsome dictators all over the world share their experiences of the kitchens and circumstances that led them to these sometimes dangerous and often morally compromising workplaces.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
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But Gumbs was uninterested in compromising on his goal of playing against the best.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When a Lake Dallas home exploded last month, critically injuring a woman inside, investigators said natural gas from a leaking pipe fueled the blast.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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There have also been calls when people have been injured from an accident with a horse and the animal is not secured.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That’s left them vulnerable to a crisis that could crash the AI boom, destroy the S&P 500, and cripple the US economy.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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The demolition of Golden Hall would cripple the central plant and sever the connection between the plant and the other buildings, according to the implementation report and preliminary work done by engineering consultancy WSP.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaw. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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