1
as in to die
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to forget
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 fail
One other common mistake is failing to prune your tomato plants.
—
Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
The Iberia pilot said the engine had failed to start after Leo had boarded.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
If Iran failed to uphold its obligations, the official said, Israel would be expected to respond.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 June 2026
Even rain failed to slow the enthusiasm.
—J.m. Banks
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail
Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
The Iberia pilot said the engine had failed to start after Leo had boarded.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
If Iran failed to uphold its obligations, the official said, Israel would be expected to respond.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 June 2026
Even rain failed to slow the enthusiasm.
—J.m. Banks
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail
Verb
-
Kentucky State Police confirmed that Suresh's dog was also struck by a vehicle after escaping onto the interstate and died.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, according to some Western intelligence reports, and hundreds of thousands more have left the country to avoid being drafted.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Whether those disputes are merely differences in public messaging, or reflect something deeper that could cause the agreement to collapse, remains unclear.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
But even as the hall was collapsing, The Star reported, Kansas City businessmen Walter Dickey and Uriah Epperson were soliciting pledges from onlookers to launch the rebuilding.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Naturally, all eyes were on Swift for much of the night, and the unapologetic fan of popular music did not disappoint — singing along, cheering, swaying, even holding on to her guy for brief moments.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2026
-
Of course, financial markets have rallied in the past on hopes that an end to the war with Iran was near, only to get disappointed each time.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
-
This, of course, is problematic for the homegrown haters because the opposing opinion from neutral outsiders weakens their argument and should strengthen our resolve.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Macron forgets his watch Macron appeared to leave behind his watch after eating lunch with several other world leaders.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
-
Don't forget a thick slice of crusty bread on the side to soak up all the flavor.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Officials say at Alexander Avenue and Route 347 in Saint James, Smith sped through a red light, traveling about 70 mph, and crashed into Espinosa's car.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Video of the crash shared with the Statesman showed the airplanes colliding, spinning together and crashing to the ground in a fiery explosion.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Caitlin Clark orchestrates offense Clark struggled to find her shooting touch Tuesday, missing 10 of 15 field goal attempts and seven of eight 3-pointers.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Fans attending World Cup matches at Miami Stadium are warning others to arrive hours early after long lines and transportation delays caused some to miss major moments of a recent game.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Members of the organizations explained that the numerous legal and regulatory actions are not fading away once SpaceX goes public, but are likely to escalate and become bigger risks to investors, pension fund holders and other members of the financial community.—
Ashley Capoot,CJ Haddad,Samantha Subin,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
-
Hackman plays a chess-loving private investigator tasked with finding the 16-year-old daughter (Melanie Griffith, in her film debut) of a fading actress.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
