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 defective The first trial in one of the largest U.S. mass torts ever kicks off Monday with 3M defending itself against claims that its Combat Arms earplugs were knowingly defective, harming the hearing of tens of thousands of soldiers. Mike Hughlett, Star Tribune, 28 Mar. 2021 The hope is that this approach will provide new olfactory receptor neurons for people whose own have been permanently damaged or defective since birth. Emma Young, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2015 Overheated or defective batteries can catch fire or even explode, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2023 Those factories could provide the recyclers with a great deal of defective or excess battery material, particularly in their early years. Kellen Browning, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for defective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defective
Adjective
  • For various examples and further detailed indications about the nature and use of imperfect prompts, see my coverage at the link here.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Read: Reclaim imperfect faces Near the end of the finale, all of that progress was erased.
    Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Hundreds of homes were damaged when a bad rainstorm hit in 2023.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days.
    The View from the Lane, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But equating time spent with value created is a flawed model.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The American Dental Association has disputed claims that water fluoridation is unsafe, calling the report flawed.
    Alexander Tin, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Officials say there are a multitude of reasons: mechanical failures at a power station, faulty underground cables, extensive damage from a recent storm and the significant surge in demand for power over the past two years.
    Todd Symons, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Diamond hasn’t addressed the Michael Jackson story, but has said that Crime Mob’s split was due to faulty business dealings on their manager’s part.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
  • This was mostly used when the group was building night nests—platforms made high in the trees out of broken branches, sometimes lined with leaves.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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