1
as in weakness
a defect in character
the common fault of being quick to judge others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
there's a fault somewhere in the program
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
getting the time of the performance wrong was entirely my fault
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the minor faults in the leather are entirely natural and are what gives it a look different from vinyl
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right
the investigator determined that the auto accident was entirely the other driver's fault
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to blame
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
you should look at your own work before faulting what others have done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fault
William B. Davis, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Introducing Leaders founder Molly McAdams denied that anything untoward had happened, and that the fault lay with Yudina for inviting more attendees than the 60-person event room could accommodate.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Auditors faulted the state for not having the investigative chops to catch fraud.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fault
Noun
Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.
—William B. Davis, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Introducing Leaders founder Molly McAdams denied that anything untoward had happened, and that the fault lay with Yudina for inviting more attendees than the 60-person event room could accommodate.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Some Havana Syndrome victims have spent more than a decade trying to draw attention to their cases, often faulting the government for failing to provide enough support or access to specialized medical care.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Auditors faulted the state for not having the investigative chops to catch fraud.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fault
Noun
-
Together, the cases highlight weaknesses in an industry that has long struggled to balance nutritional innovation with safety.—
Jillian Deutsch,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In signing Díaz and Tucker, Los Angeles addressed two areas of weakness by throwing money at the top option on the market.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Cole Caufield served notice that Team USA made a grave mistake leaving him off the Olympic team, but Morgan Geekie’s deuce trumped the brilliant Montreal Canadiens forward’s hat trick in the Bruins’ thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 win at TD Garden on Saturday night.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The other side of that coin is that the lengthy language might make mistakes and open the door to interpretations that undercut the law.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Israel and Hamas have traded blame over the violations of the deal.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
-
On the five-year anniversary this week, the White House launched a web page casting blame on Democrats, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and Capitol Police for the violence that transpired that day.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The defect was linked to at least 54 frontal crashes and the deaths of more than a dozen people.—
Christopher DiLella,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The coroner found no anatomical cause of death—no brain bleed, no congenital defects, no reason that an otherwise healthy boy had suddenly died.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The sweeps, in addition to crowd-management responsibilities, are typically dealt with by local police, who often have more experience and training in de-escalating large demonstrations and tamping down civil unrest.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Glenn initially planned to keep Engstrand on staff while reducing his responsibilities, including stripping him of play-calling duties.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Last week, Graham Knaus, the chief executive of the California State Association of Counties, criticized Newsom’s budget for not responding to the cost burdens shifting to local governments.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Lululemon’s failings have allowed faster-moving competitors to take market share.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
But Spring’s back-to-basics efforts to fix those failings are starting to show results.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Allowing Russia or China to dictate the terms of Arctic commerce would be a strategic error with lasting consequences.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
When teams have not been rigorously tested in realistic, high-pressure environments, automation can become a force multiplier for errors.—
James Hadley,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fault. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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