fault line

noun

: something resembling a fault : split, rift
a major conceptual fault line in foreign policyMorton Kondracke

Examples of fault line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The case has rattled fault lines surrounding race, homelessness, perceptions of public safety and bystanders’ responsibility. Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024 Yet the showdown would also emphasize certain fault lines in the Recording Academy and in the music business at large involving race, genre and authenticity — and not for the first time. Mikael Wood, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2024 The strike has exposed fault lines inside a company where senior executives long focused on returns, while Machinists saw their wages eaten up by inflation and their pension plan evaporate under a controversial 2014 contract. Julie Johnsson, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2024 Then, multiple earthquakes struck in February 2023 along a fault line about 1 kilometer from Tell Atchana. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fault line 

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fault line was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near fault line

Cite this Entry

“Fault line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fault%20line. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!