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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Trump, in his remarks, urged Texans to vote for Paxton despite what the president considers to be his flaws. — Tamara Keith, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026 Kansas City has flaws early that should sort themselves out later in the season. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

This analysis made several assumptions, some of which were flawed (though entirely reasonably). — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 10 June 2026 That process can be tedious, may involve delays due to issues with resources, outdated technology or flawed data reporting practices, and may ultimately result in partial data or data with redactions. — Divya Ramjee, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for flaw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaw

Noun

The other infant, a 6-week-old girl with a genetic defect that left her highly vulnerable to infection, died of measles, Diamantoni told the Associated Press.

— Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
If one prisoner makes a deal (defects) then that prisoner gets to go free and the other gets a heavier sentence.

— Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of defect

Verb

Extensive lines backed up at Kauai's primary airport as people tried to leave the island; state officials said the airport was operating on a lone backup generator because a second generator was damaged by the storm.

— GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
The precise composition of ancient Egyptian paints, binders, adhesives, and similar materials used to make artifacts is largely unknown, in part because a full analysis would require taking samples that would damage those valuable artifacts.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of damage

Verb

Another interesting option is Yetur Gross-Matos, whose recent stint with the 49ers was marred by a knee issue.

— Matt Barrows, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of mar

Noun

Cardiac arrhythmia ablation, according to the British Heart Foundation, is when heat or cold energy is used to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Wildfire burn scars increase the chances for flash-flooding events.

— Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of scar

Verb

After all, that was the group that revolutionized last year’s offense from strong but static to unpredictable and setting a league-wide trend with 13 personnel and dominated on play-action and in the run game with defenses consistently compromised.

— Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Attackers compromised a single support agent’s account and, according to Discord’s own statement, exposed roughly 70,000 government ID photos.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of compromise

Verb

The pilots of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 were blamed for crashing into a seawall in 2013, sending their jet cartwheeling down a runway in San Francisco, killing three people and injuring 187 others.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
The jet, traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico, overshot the runway, killing five people and injuring another five.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of injure

Verb

Then, after becoming Trojans AD in August 2010, he was tasked with moving the athletic department past crippling NCAA sanctions.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Young men and women went overseas, on orders of presidents, to try to cripple and kill the enemy and its enablers in foreign lands.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of cripple

Browse Nearby Words

flavorsome

flaw

flawed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaw. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flaw

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

watershed

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes