miscarry

verb

mis·​car·​ry ˌmis-ˈker-ē 

-ˈka-rē, 

ˈmis-ˌker-ē, 

-ˌka-rē

miscarried; miscarrying; miscarries

intransitive verb

1

obsolete : to come to harm

2

: to suffer miscarriage of a fetus

3

: to fail to achieve the intended purpose : go wrong or amiss

the plan miscarried

4

: to fail to reach the intended destination

the letter has miscarried

Synonyms of miscarry

• fail
• fall short
• stall
• die

Examples of miscarry in a Sentence

the scheme to save the stranded dolphins miscarried, and all were lost

Recent Examples on the Web

In the spring, when animals’ energy stores are low, navigating uncrossable fences can cause pregnant wildlife to miscarry and, over time, result in declining birthrates, the authors wrote. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 28 June 2026

Hamel became pregnant in October 2025 and miscarried, and her sister became pregnant soon after and also miscarried. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Goodman miscarried multiple times, and lost at least one child in infancy. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

And data analyses by ProPublica showed that sepsis rates and blood transfusions spiked among miscarrying women after the ban went into effect — an indicator of dangerous delays in care across the state. — Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for miscarry

• askari
• astbury
• azeri
• banbury
• barberry
• blackberry
• blueberry
• canary
• cranberry
• dentary
• dewberry
• dogberry

Kids Definition

miscarry

verb

mis·​car·​ry (ˈ)mis-ˈkar-ē 

1

: to have a miscarriage : give birth prematurely

2

: to go wrong

the plan miscarried

Medical Definition

miscarry

intransitive verb

mis·​car·​ry (ˈ)mis-ˈkar-ē 

miscarried; miscarrying

: to suffer miscarriage of a fetus

miscarried several times before a viable offspring was born

compare abort