fail-safe

1 of 2

adjective

1
: incorporating some feature for automatically counteracting the effect of an anticipated possible source of failure
2
: being or relating to a safeguard that prevents continuing on a bombing mission according to a preconceived plan
3
: having no chance of failure : infallibly problem-free
the little black dress … has consistently been the fail-safe solution for nightVogue

fail-safe

2 of 2

noun

: a device or measure that makes something fail-safe

Examples of fail-safe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Their key message: this generation of Kodiak’s AV platform has redundant components which are essential to ensure fail-safe or fail-operational capability in the event of a fault. Richard Bishop, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 My Kabul One of my fail-safe tips for finding good food in an unfamiliar place is to look for dishes that don’t seem to fit on a menu — say, butter chicken in an Afghan restaurant. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024 Thanks to modern watch technology, including tougher cases, silicon escapements, and fail-safe shock-absorbing systems, tourbillons are now frequently spotted in sporting venues, from the tennis courts to the fairways. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2023 But as Ben Wheatley’s misguided 2020 Netflix movie version proved, the material is far from fail-safe. David Benedict, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023 Then another fail-safe — a credential scan that should have also caught the key — missed that the key was there. Wes Davis, The Verge, 6 Sep. 2023 What McPherson is yearning for now is a fail-safe uniform of sorts—clothes that will gird her against the uncertainty of our hazy and not-quite-post-pandemic world. Alison S. Cohn, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Aug. 2023 What This Means For You The most fail-safe way to ensure the safety of milk is to heat it to a temperature high enough to kill contaminants. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 20 July 2023 Essentially, this set offers a fail-safe and enjoyable solution to cooking. Tanya Edwards, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2023
Noun
The idea was to make bank oversight both stricter and more fail-safe. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023 Shop Now 10 Navy Blue In areas with strict historic guidelines, navy blue is often a fail-safe. Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, 17 Mar. 2023 Follow these Dallas pros’ fail-safe do’s and don’ts for getting the job hung. Ryan Conner, Dallas News, 15 Mar. 2023 But for anyone who’s been lulled into a sense of complacency by digitization, The Living Record makes clear that digital is no fail-safe solution. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fail-safe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fail-safe was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near fail-safe

Cite this Entry

“Fail-safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fail-safe. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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