as in hamartia
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Recent Examples of tragic flaw
Many people think of parent-child relationships as the most formative ones—the source of attachment styles, daddy issues, tragic flaws.
—
Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024
The political actors onstage in Milwaukee wore their tragic flaws on their sleeves.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
That tendency toward self-critique may ultimately have been the tragic flaw of Menand’s midcentury creatives.
—Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Thomas is selfless and fearless in his quest to do good, but his tragic flaws of hubris, stubbornness and self-destructiveness become his undoing.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2023
His obsession proved his tragic flaw.
—Pablo Sandoval, Variety, 3 Oct. 2022
Yet that benefit concealed a tragic flaw.
—Maryn McKenna, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2022
There’s some tragic flaw there.
—Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2021
Eddie is the Oberyn Martell of Stranger Things: a colorful, big personality with a tragic flaw.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2022
Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024
The political actors onstage in Milwaukee wore their tragic flaws on their sleeves.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
That tendency toward self-critique may ultimately have been the tragic flaw of Menand’s midcentury creatives.
—Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Thomas is selfless and fearless in his quest to do good, but his tragic flaws of hubris, stubbornness and self-destructiveness become his undoing.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2023
His obsession proved his tragic flaw.
—Pablo Sandoval, Variety, 3 Oct. 2022
Yet that benefit concealed a tragic flaw.
—Maryn McKenna, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2022
There’s some tragic flaw there.
—Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2021
Eddie is the Oberyn Martell of Stranger Things: a colorful, big personality with a tragic flaw.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragic flaw
Noun
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Out of all of her spring blooms, Gaines had a soft spot for the delicate ranunculus.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Mar. 2025
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Most people are looking for a young and friendly family dog, but there are a few of us out there who have a soft spot for the outcasts with a bit of a temper.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Maybe the game’s biggest blessing and potential undoing is its open-source ethos, which allows anyone to access the code and sculpt endless fanmade mods.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
23 Apr. 2025
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This administration's undoing of Biden-era distractions and the refocusing of the Pentagon on lethality are moving at breakneck pace.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tragic flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragic%20flaw. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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