FLAWS Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

flaws 1 of 2

noun

plural of flaw

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

flaws

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flaw

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

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 flaws

Noun

For people like Carmichael or Williams, who devoted their lives to the struggle for freedom for all people, support for Cuban self-determination also required a critical engagement with the flaws of its government. — Anne Garland Mahler, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026 Here was a team unable to shake its bullpen blues, a club that has fought back from the brink only to again succumb to the same old flaws. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Thankfully, the Google security team knows all about such memory vulnerabilities and, within just 48 hours, has released application updates to fix three such critical flaws. — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Those flaws, the investigation found, are putting a new generation of young athletes at risk. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 20 Aug. 2026 To address those flaws, a chorus of economists outside China — and some within the country — argue for a redistribution of national wealth from state enterprises to households in order to boost domestic consumption, just as Zhu once prescribed. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Tiny diamond flaws For the project, the researchers studied tiny defects in diamonds called nitrogen-vacancy centers, or NV centers. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 Despite their widespread use for decades, BMI categories have serious flaws. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 That 12-10 setback to the New York Charging forced the players and coaches to address some flaws. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaws

Noun

Another approach would be to make electrolytes with fewer internal defects and extremely low electronic leakage, reducing the sites where lithium dendrites can begin.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
The project has since faced criticism over structural defects.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of defects

Verb

And one of the toughest critiques — that service damages mental health — doesn’t hold up.

— Tom Suozzi, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Nuisance, negligence and harm to residents The largest set of claims in the lawsuit has to do with arguing that the data center damages residents’ health, futures and quality of life in the areas closest to the 400-acre hyperscale AI factory.

— Ilana Arougheti Updated August 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of damages

Noun

The scars of the 2008 financial crisis are still scorched into Icelandic memory, and the small national currency lends itself to volatility and inflation spirals.

— Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
One plaintiff, a green card holder who lives in Chicago, said that he had been shot in the abdomen by officials under Quero Silva, an injury that left him with psychological scars and nerve damage.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of scars

Verb

Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Jacob Whitehead Homophobic chant mars Mexico’s win Before the World Cup, the Mexican football federation launched a campaign that featured the heroes of the country’s 1986 World Cup side.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of mars

Verb

In the end, the public should be aware of the severe medical problems of public officials unless doing so compromises national security or a legitimate law enforcement goal.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Human judgement though is what will always be needed to understand which goals matter, and which compromises a client can accept.

— Hardy Michel, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of compromises

Noun

Every additional precision subsystem creates more opportunities for faults, while customer machines may be located far from specialists who know how to fix them.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Deadly fires, often linked to electrical faults or gas cylinder explosions, are common in India where investigators have frequently pointed to safety lapses and inadequate enforcement of fire regulations as contributing to recurring loss of life.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of faults

Verb

Travel could require boarding or pet-sitting expenses, while a dog that damages property or injures someone could create potential liability issues.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
The heist goes wrong when one sister injures her back and ends up trapped on the second floor, setting off an increasingly frantic bid to get out before the homeowner comes home.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of injures

Browse Nearby Words

flawlessness

flaws

flaxen

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flaws

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

Popular in Wordplay

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

Popular

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

Games & Quizzes