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
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
Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Microsoft emphasizes that these attacks don't exploit a flaw in Workday itself.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Seth Emerson, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Danish officials later admitted the process of evaluating Bronlund's case was flawed and overturned the ruling.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
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.
Noun
Low-Quality Fixtures Finishes and fixtures—like faucets and lights, to door hardware and drawer pulls—might seem like an easy place to save on cost, but experts, designers, and Redditors alike often warn that cheap fixtures will quickly reveal their flaws.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Microsoft emphasizes that these attacks don't exploit a flaw in Workday itself.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Kirby Smart’s team is good enough to run the table and flawed enough to lose any of its remaining games in conference play.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Danish officials later admitted the process of evaluating Bronlund's case was flawed and overturned the ruling.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flaw
Cite this Entry
“Flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaw. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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