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
  • Measuring real estate loss from the fires is, at best, an imperfect exercise laden with assumptions about property value and the interpretation of data that was not collected for that purpose.
    Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
  • The results are often imperfect, so the designs usually have to be tweaked in apps like Canva.
    Megan Sauer, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The weather was bad enough that MassDOT dropped the speed limit on the pike and forbid tandem trucks from the road.
    Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Hudl clips are cut from the previous training session, with three good things and three bad things presented.
    Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Excellence is achievable, but perfection is flawed thinking, impossible to attain.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Pasteur coolly replied that Pouchet’s spontaneous generation experiments were fatally flawed.
    Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The affected coolers have a faulty tow handle which can pinch and crush users' fingers against the body of the cooler.
    Julia Landwehr, Health, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Now when buildings are razed the culprit is less likely to be an arsonist or faulty wiring than a luxury developer.
    Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Deo’s family told the outlet that the car had a broken window and blood on the front seat, and his shoes were left inside.
    Rhiannon Saegert, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Infielder Nick Madrigal was moved to the 60-day IL with a broken shoulder to make room on the 40-man roster.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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