as in imperfect
having a fault
promptly took the defective microwave oven back to the store for a replacement
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Recent Examples of defective
That was the law in Arizona until the Arizona Court of Appeals required a homebuilder to replace defective stucco twelve years after the home was built.
—
Christopher A. Combs, AZCentral.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order and ordered that the planes be turned around, but Justice Department attorneys said his oral instructions directing the flight to be returned were defective, and the deportations proceeded as planned.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2025
But both indictments were thrown out as invalid after Currie found Halligan’s appointment defective.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2025
The crossing signal for the next lane was defective and failed to activate.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defective
Adjective
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The no-cloning theorem has presented a major challenge for quantum researchers, who have sought to overcome it with solutions such as imperfect cloning and probabilistic cloning, which uses the broadcasting of mixed states.—
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In Relationship Goals, his character’s transformation is sincere, but imperfect at times.—
Adjective
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Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, raising fears of evacuations in Tehran while threatening the regime’s stability and nuclear ambitions, according to a leading environmental expert.—
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Keeping bad things out of my body.—
Adjective
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The London punk rebels seized the revolutionary spirit of 1977 with their raw manifesto The Clash, then refined their sound with the flawed Give ‘Em Enough Rope.—
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The foundation of this 2025 team is flawed, and McDaniel should shoulder just as much blame for this team’s issues, which pop up week to week, especially during the losses.—
Adjective
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Volvo has recalled more than 400,000 vehicles due to potentially faulty rearview camera displays.—
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So a team historically faulty on special teams, including in critical playoff moments, is now short-handed, too.—
Adjective
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Dead or damaged branches can be removed any time.—
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Your Skin Might Heal Faster Chamomile is often used topically to soothe damaged skin.—
Adjective
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Dispose of broken or outdated items.—
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The 41-year-old suffered a broken pelvis and sustained fractures to both femurs and three ribs, as well as a compound fracture to his right shin.—
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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