as in hamartia
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Recent Examples of tragic flaw
Many people think of parent-child relationships as the most formative ones—the source of attachment styles, daddy issues, tragic flaws.
—
Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024
The political actors onstage in Milwaukee wore their tragic flaws on their sleeves.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
That tendency toward self-critique may ultimately have been the tragic flaw of Menand’s midcentury creatives.
—Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Thomas is selfless and fearless in his quest to do good, but his tragic flaws of hubris, stubbornness and self-destructiveness become his undoing.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2023
His obsession proved his tragic flaw.
—Pablo Sandoval, Variety, 3 Oct. 2022
Yet that benefit concealed a tragic flaw.
—Maryn McKenna, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2022
There’s some tragic flaw there.
—Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2021
Eddie is the Oberyn Martell of Stranger Things: a colorful, big personality with a tragic flaw.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2022
Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024
The political actors onstage in Milwaukee wore their tragic flaws on their sleeves.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
That tendency toward self-critique may ultimately have been the tragic flaw of Menand’s midcentury creatives.
—Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Thomas is selfless and fearless in his quest to do good, but his tragic flaws of hubris, stubbornness and self-destructiveness become his undoing.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2023
His obsession proved his tragic flaw.
—Pablo Sandoval, Variety, 3 Oct. 2022
Yet that benefit concealed a tragic flaw.
—Maryn McKenna, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2022
There’s some tragic flaw there.
—Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2021
Eddie is the Oberyn Martell of Stranger Things: a colorful, big personality with a tragic flaw.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragic flaw
Noun
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Indeed, there is a chance the feline has a soft spot for the woman's roomie.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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Her husband had always had a soft spot for yams and was glad for the sudden bounty.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Based on real-life events, Barry Levinson's gangster drama casts De Niro as former best friends turned rivals Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, where a violent betrayal leads to an undoing of the New York underworld.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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In the upcoming film, Oscar Isaac stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tragic flaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragic%20flaw. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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