flaw 1 of 2

noun

ˈflȯ How to pronounce flaw (audio)
Definition of flawnext
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

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
The only flaw in his brilliant performance was Colton Cowser's third-inning double down the right-field line. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 Thankfully, the Google security team knows all about such memory vulnerabilities and, within just 48 hours, has released application updates to fix three such critical flaws. — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
There are so many ways in which this could be flawed—bias, false information, poor evidence handling to name just a few. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 June 2026 Meanwhile, many of Montana’s landowners consider the entire discussion flawed, because corner-crossers could upset a precarious balance between agricultural producers and sportsmen. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for flaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaw
  1. defect
  2. damage
  3. blotch
  4. mar
  5. scar
  6. compromise
  7. injure
  8. cripple
Noun
  • Since the core and cladding are made together, the method can achieve high fabrication yield while minimizing defects at the interface.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In December 2015, when Eva Benefield was just 14 years old, her mother, Renee Benefield, died suddenly from an undetected congenital heart defect.
    — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of defect
Verb
  • Maiquetía International airport, outside Caracas, was damaged from twin earthquakes on June 24 that devastated the country.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The flooding inundated areas along the Trishuli River, burying some buildings and damaging bridges and roadways.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of damage
Noun
  • Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The next morning, a galaxy of itchy red bumps and blotches stretched from my shoulder to my hip.
    — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of blotch
Verb
  • But his tenure has been marred by a number of fatal shootings of immigrants in encounters with ICE officers.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Smith’s presence could help prevent the friction that marred Babcock’s tenures in Toronto and Columbus.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of mar
Noun
  • As the tree grew, the metal bands cut into the trunk and branches, in some places disappearing beneath a scar-like covering of bark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Nineteen months after the Palisades Fire leveled much of the seaside community, scars of the blaze are increasingly overshadowed by signs of progress.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of scar
Verb
  • The administration’s hope is that eventually the Iranian leadership will capitulate and compromise.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Once a package or tool was compromised, Shai-Hulud, as the worm was dubbed, attached itself to future package updates.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of compromise
Verb
  • Scott Quigley, then embedded with the Middlesex DA’s office, crashed his cruiser into a wheelchair van in December 2023, injuring a man inside who died at the hospital a month later.
    — Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • During a 2021 mass shooting at a school in Oxford, Michigan, police responded within minutes of the emergency calls and disarmed a 15-year-old boy in a shooting that killed four students and injured seven others.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of injure
Verb
  • In 2022, officials condemned Iran for a cyberattack that crippled Albania's government services.
    — Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Businesses have warned that the duties could cripple their sales and that the threat alone has already taken a toll.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of cripple

Browse Nearby Words

flavorsome
flaw
flawed
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Cite this Entry

“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaw. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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