as in defects
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 damages
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 flaws
Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Battle’s not quite yet at that level, but flaws and missteps are part of anyone’s journey into adulthood.
—David Glickman, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Noting that the practice of microtargeting — using online data to target specific voters or potential voters — has had its flaws, Tesler said AI might enhance the algorithm for campaigns to determine what voters actually care about.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Their own personal desires and flaws really hinder them, which is a key to writing great characters.
—Hannah Benson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
However, the study had methodological flaws, so the results may or may not actually translate into benefits for everyone.
—Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2026
Fransein became a consultant to Casey Family Programs and worked on the initial task force that researched system flaws.
—Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch, 9 Feb. 2026
In the show’s fourth season, which premièred last month, the characters’ core flaws have informed their fates.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
This contributed to cascading problems, including critical flaws in her campaign website.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
Attorneys have previously argued that the NFL’s process contains several flaws.
—Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Battle’s not quite yet at that level, but flaws and missteps are part of anyone’s journey into adulthood.
—David Glickman, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Noting that the practice of microtargeting — using online data to target specific voters or potential voters — has had its flaws, Tesler said AI might enhance the algorithm for campaigns to determine what voters actually care about.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Their own personal desires and flaws really hinder them, which is a key to writing great characters.
—Hannah Benson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
However, the study had methodological flaws, so the results may or may not actually translate into benefits for everyone.
—Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2026
Fransein became a consultant to Casey Family Programs and worked on the initial task force that researched system flaws.
—Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch, 9 Feb. 2026
In the show’s fourth season, which premièred last month, the characters’ core flaws have informed their fates.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
This contributed to cascading problems, including critical flaws in her campaign website.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaws
Noun
-
Their imaging has discovered defects in past parts.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The jury did not find Uber liable for negligence or design defects, and the company was not ordered to pay punitive damages.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The meatpacking giant also charges workers when someone takes or damages their personal protective equipment and insists on a three-year agreement, the union said.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
-
To explore that possibility, researchers at University College London and Queen Square Analytics set out to look beyond symptoms and clinical labels and focus instead on the biological signals of how MS damages the brain.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The sudden carnage has been profound, leaving pain and scars.—
Scott Schnipper,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The Premier League is an altogether different beast and Arsenal bear the scars of three successive second-place finishes.—
Peter South,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The picture exudes both grace and vulnerability, and hints at imperfection by way of a disconcerting, coral-like wrinkle that mars the foot’s heel.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These blotches are fairly plant friendly and produce what is known as algal leaf spot.—
Brian Bell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Photos show the Maratus australis spider, which has an intricate pattern of blue and brown blotches edged with bright teal and red-orange stripes.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Prepared Frozen Foods Dumplings and gyoza are typically flash-frozen after shaping and should be cooked straight from frozen; thawing softens the wrappers and compromises texture.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Moreover, such rapid decay of institutions compromises, to varying degrees, all those who find themselves within them.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These mini-seismic events are not considered true earthquakes because there is no movement along faults or tectonic plate boundaries.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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When the tectonic plates began to pull apart millions of years later, those ancient faults at their edges reawakened, reincarnated as transform faults.—
Evan Howell,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bystander videos, like the ones taken of Pretti, have played a key role for decades in informing the public when law enforcement kills or injures people.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
-
California law already criminalizes unsafe gun storage in certain situations, including when a child accesses a firearm and injures or kills someone.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flaws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaws. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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