Illustration of fault
- 1 fault with displaced strata a b c d e
- 2 scarp
1
b
: a physical or intellectual imperfection or impairment : defect
a theory with some serious faults
c
: an error especially in service in a net or racket game
She committed too many faults to win the match.
2
: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
the accident was the driver's fault
3
a
: mistake
The misplacement of "only" is one of the most common writing faults.
b
: misdemeanor
a small boy's faults
4
: a fracture in the crust of a planet (such as the earth) or moon accompanied by a displacement of one side of the fracture with respect to the other usually in a direction parallel to the fracture
Frequent earthquakes have occurred along the San Andreas Fault.
5
obsolete
: lack
faulted; faulting; faults
1
: to find a fault in
easy to praise this book and to fault it—
H. G. Roepke
H. G. Roepke3
: to produce a geologic fault in
Synonyms
Examples of fault in a Sentence
Noun
Lack of courage is his worst fault.
If the book has a fault, it's that it's too long.
It's your own fault you missed that bus.
Through no fault of his own, he won't be able to attend the meeting.
She committed too many faults to win the match.
Verb
The truck driver was faulted for the accident.
Many have faulted her for not acting sooner.
I can't fault him for trying to protect his family.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Sabin, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025
The magnitude of the two events suggested, according to Whisker Labs, that the faults were on the high-voltage transmission lines that carry electricity from facilities like power plants to substations.
—Ivan Penn, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now.
—Haleluya Hadero, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fault 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Between the lines: The findings each highlight the faults AI models can have if companies' don't conduct proper security and safety checks before release.
—Sam Sabin, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025
The magnitude of the two events suggested, according to Whisker Labs, that the faults were on the high-voltage transmission lines that carry electricity from facilities like power plants to substations.
—Ivan Penn, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
In August of 2019, AHCA inspectors faulted the facility for performing life-saving measures on an unresponsive child, in contravention of a do-not-resuscitate order signed by the youngster’s mother and doctor.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now.
—Haleluya Hadero, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fault
Dictionary Entries Near fault
Cite this Entry
“Fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fault. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fault
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a weakness in character : failing
b
: a physical or mental flaw
2
a
: a wrongful act
3
: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
it's all my fault
4
: a break in the earth's crust accompanied by a displacement of rock masses parallel to the break
faultless
adjective
-ləs
faultlessly
adverb
faultlessness
noun
fault
2 of 2 verb1
: to fracture so as to produce a geologic fault
2
: to find a fault in
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