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
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
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Recent Examples of flaw
Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 3 June 2026
But general relativity has a fatal flaw.
—Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026
Steven Gray, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
The journey has surely been flawed, but this transition to being open about the fluidity of her sexuality is somewhat unprecedented in Housewives’ history.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaw
Noun
Now that Michael Jackson is too big to fail, and no longer a living man with mortal flaws and moral failures weighing him down, selling the aura is inevitable.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 3 June 2026
But general relativity has a fatal flaw.
—Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026
Verb
In parts of the world, contradiction is survivable; an artist can be luminous and flawed in the same breath.
—Steven Gray, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
The journey has surely been flawed, but this transition to being open about the fluidity of her sexuality is somewhat unprecedented in Housewives’ history.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaw
Noun
-
Bangladesh’s ThreadBridge is applying AI directly to factory floors through smart glasses that detect fabric defects in real time, helping manufacturers reduce waste before garments reach the cutting stage.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
-
These defects propagate through the device layers, degrading electron mobility, increasing leakage current, and shortening device reliability lifetimes.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The quake damaged buildings and infrastructure in the southern Philippines.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Earlier in the month, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The sides may be mottled with brown blotches.—
Ken Perrotte,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
-
Their bodies vary in color from light to dark gray, have rows of black or charcoal blotches running along them and have a reddish-brown stripe running down the middle of their backs.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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But six years after NASA certified SpaceX to ferry crews to and from the ISS, Boeing’s Starliner still lacks approval for regular crew rotation flights after a 2024 test flight was marred by technical issues.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Deputies said that the girl was seen with several marks and scars that were consistent with those claims.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
Deputies went to the woman’s house in the 700 block of Northwest 81st Street Saturday morning for a welfare check and found the girl with scars and marks on her body, according to the arrest report of her mother, 27-year-old Naseline Timouche.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The great-grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic struck a defiant tone in an interview with CNN on Thursday, saying Iran shouldn’t compromise on its demands to end the war.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
But most importantly, Rebecca, the filmmaker, documentarian, screenwriter, novelist, and painter, who flows between various mediums and art forms, and won awards across all, creates her art without compromising kindness and morality.—
Damon Cardasis,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The fatal bear encounter at Glacier National Park occurred in the same week that two hikers were injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, according to the park service.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
The boy who was injured was treated at a hospital and released the same day, authorities said.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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However, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller — who lost the recent Republican primary to a candidate backed by Abbott — said the federal response will take too long and risks crippling the cattle industry.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
-
The protest largely crippled the country’s center, with highways closed and public transportation halted by the massive crowds in both Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metro area.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaw. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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