defect 1 of 2

noun

ˈdē-ˌfekt How to pronounce defect (audio)
Definition of defectnext
as in scar
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing the statue has a slight defect on the base, so it's being sold at a discount

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

defect

2 of 2

verb

as in to emigrate

Related Words

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 defect
Noun
The project has since faced criticism over structural defects. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Traditional fabric inspection used to rely on human operators examining rolls on inspection tables, a process that typically catches only 60 to 70 percent of defects due to eye fatigue and high line speeds. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Accounts of athletes defecting and seeking asylum date back to at least 1982, with the undercurrent of international events often framing such high-profile moments. — Tamara Davison, Wired News, 17 June 2026 Still, there are many people that will vote on election day, some of whom were already going to vote for Mills, and some who could defect to her as a protest. — Margie Cullen, USA Today, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for defect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defect
  1. scar
  2. emigrate
  3. blotch
  4. pilgrimage
  5. fault
  6. voyage
  7. deformity
  8. trek
Noun
  • Burn scars on the landscape from previous wildfires can also rapidly funnel water into dangerous downslope torrents.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Without vegetation, a barren burn scar allows runoff to flow more quickly.
    — Jamie Stengle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of scar
Verb
  • The children who’d grown up in the house—eight of them, raised by a single mother who emigrated from Ireland—were equally, if not more, delighted.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Though her work has kept her moving, the New York native has long considered Greece, the country from which her mother's family emigrated to Manhattan, like a second home.
    — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of emigrate
Noun
  • Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The next morning, a galaxy of itchy red bumps and blotches stretched from my shoulder to my hip.
    — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of blotch
Verb
  • There are hiking trails and even pilgrimage routes all over the world.
    — Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • Nearly 100,000 visitors pilgrimage to the area annually to witness a forest canopy cloaked in orange-and-black wings.
    — Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of pilgrimage
Noun
  • Detecting a developing problem early can therefore be important for keeping the wider system available and preventing a localized fault from becoming a larger operational issue.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The wire is intended to provide a safe path for electricity to travel to earth in the event of a fault or surge.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fault
Verb
  • However, when her island's resources are threatened, Moana embraces her ancestors' voyaging heritage and heads out to sea to find Maui, deliver the heart of Te Fiti (which Maui stole back in the day) and save her people.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • When a blight hits the island, the result of a curse that began when Maui stole a gem representing the heart of the goddess Te Fiti, Moana gets her quest and excuse to voyage — to find the missing Maui and force him to return the stone.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Definition of voyage
Noun
  • For example, patients with bunion deformities may not be able to tolerate their hallux being forced in a straighter position.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Fetuses of mice suddenly exposed to QACs developed deformities and neural tube defects similar to spina bifida in humans.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of deformity
Verb
  • At least 62 missing Nepali citizens were among hundreds of locals trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area in Rasuwa, coinciding with the local festival of Janai Purnima on Friday, Sharma added.
    — Niranjan Shrestha, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Her parents paid the doctor who trekked to their home to deliver her with a sack of cornmeal.
    — Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of trek

Phrases Containing defect

Browse Nearby Words

defeats
defect
defected
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defect. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on defect

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defect

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All