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as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right the investigator determined that the auto accident was entirely the other driver's fault

Synonyms & Similar Words

fault

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun fault differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fault are failing, foible, frailty, and vice. While all these words mean "an imperfection or weakness of character," fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

When could failing be used to replace fault?

The words failing and fault can be used in similar contexts, but failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

When might foible be a better fit than fault?

Although the words foible and fault have much in common, foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

In what contexts can frailty take the place of fault?

While the synonyms frailty and fault are close in meaning, frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

When is it sensible to use vice instead of fault?

The synonyms vice and fault are sometimes interchangeable, but vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

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 fault
Noun
That was the fault of governors, who can put their lieutenant governors in charge of departments. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025 Republicans looking for reasons to betray Ukraine forget that the primary issue isn't Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine, whatever his and its faults, but Vladimir Putin and Russia. Bradley Gitz, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
Hours earlier, the head of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association officers’ union, Steadman Stahl, faulted Hill for winding up on the ground while being handcuffed. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025 City audit led to changeover As for animal control, KC Pet Project sought that contract after a 2017 city audit had faulted the city-run animal control unit for being overly focused on issuing tickets to pet owners. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fault
Noun
  • Fashion chains attributed some of that weakness to cold weather and were clearly crossing their fingers and hoping the trend changed with the weather.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Management is implementing measures to address these weaknesses.
    Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This makes people more forgiving when leaders make mistakes.
    Tendayi Viki, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Piastri, who made a mistake that cost him the win at the Australian GP last week, capitalized on clean air in Shanghai to steadily build his advantage as the race evolved into a strategic battle between one and two-stop strategies.
    Luke Smith, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The attention, and some of the blame, would have to start shifting onto a player pool whose reputation had been built up but now had to start delivering.
    Paul Tenorio, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • This doesn't mean eliminating accountability but rather shifting from cultures of blame to curiosity when things go wrong.
    Michael Hudson, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Teslas have infamously run right into the broadsides of trucks on Autopilot, but it’s been regularly ruled that is not any sort of defect in Autopilot, which is not designed to be or expected to be perfect at that task.
    Brad Templeton, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Tesla is recalling substantially all units of the Cybertruck pickup over a defect that could cause a panel to fly off in traffic.
    Nathan Bomey, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Skills and experience requirements: a minimum of 10 years of experience in a professional services leadership role confirmable P&L responsibilities and experience managing large teams.
    Terina Allen, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Even if these next steps don’t seem like a drastic transition to you, the sheer concept of rigid labels can feel like a pressure point to others—one that comes with more expectations, responsibility, and a level of intimacy that can be intimidating for some.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In a 1907 essay, the writer Ito Sakon criticized the idea of escaping the hot urban summer, instead presenting the heat as an opportunity for self-improvement.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 Mar. 2025
  • But McGregor faces an uphill task to get his name on the ballot as few Irish lawmakers share his vehement anti-immigrant views, and many publicly criticized him after the civil case last November.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Peter Johnston, the BBC’s director of editorial complaints and reviews, is overseeing an in-depth editorial investigation into the editorial failings that led to the documentary being broadcast.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The not-so-powerful who demand the truth about the powerful are often averse to the truth about their own complicity in the failings of the nation.
    Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, The Dial, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The lawsuit claims medical errors happened during the procedure, which led to the bowel perforation.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
  • All the results were just outside margins of error.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fault. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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