1
a
: a defect in physical structure or form
a diamond with a flaw
b
: an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness
vanity was the flaw in his character
a flaw in the book's plot
2
obsolete
: fragment
flawed; flawing; flaws
: to become defective
1
: a sudden brief burst of wind
the wind changed with flaws from westward—
Archibald MacLeish
Archibald MacLeish
also
: a spell of stormy weather
2
obsolete
: an outburst especially of passion
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- blemish
- blight
- blotch
- defect
- deformity
- disfigurement
- excrescence
- excrescency
- fault
- imperfection
- mar
- mark
- pockmark
- scar
Verb
Examples of flaw in a Sentence
Noun (1)
noted the flaw in the diamond before I bought it
Verb
that crack has flawed the vase to the extent that its value in the antiques market is greatly reduced
Recent Examples on the Web
Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
If so, the argument went, the very foundations of mathematics would be flawed, and the entire subject would collapse like a house of cards.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
There were no loose threads, snags, or flaws in the fabric whatsoever, and the material didn’t develop any color fading after going through the wash.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flaw 
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.
Verb
Without proper governance, your data—and by extension, any automation or AI models deployed—will be flawed.
—Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
If so, the argument went, the very foundations of mathematics would be flawed, and the entire subject would collapse like a house of cards.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
Authorities established that Russian hackers exploited a flaw in a Microsoft product to steal sensitive government documents from the National Nuclear Security Administration and the National Institutes of Health, among other agencies.
—Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
There were no loose threads, snags, or flaws in the fabric whatsoever, and the material didn’t develop any color fading after going through the wash.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flaw
Dictionary Entries Near flaw
Cite this Entry
“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaw. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flaw
1 of 2 noun
: a small often hidden defect
flawless
adjective
-ləs
flawlessly
adverb
flawlessness
noun
flaw
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become defective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share