as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
a default in the repayment of a bank loan
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of default
Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 June 2025
Starting from a zero base will guard against the tendency to default to old structures and concepts that might no longer reflect the United States’ vital interests and geopolitical context or the needs and preferences of the American people.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Christian Wolf, Scientific American, 25 June 2025
The Borrower Defense rule has been in place since 1994 but was rewritten by the Biden administration in 2022 to make the process easier for borrowers who were defrauded by a college to have those loans forgiven before a default, Forbes reported.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for default
Noun
TransUnion, the Journal reports, estimates another 1 million borrowers could default by August, followed by another 2 million in September.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 June 2025
Starting from a zero base will guard against the tendency to default to old structures and concepts that might no longer reflect the United States’ vital interests and geopolitical context or the needs and preferences of the American people.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Verb
For example, Naci and her colleagues have looked for the interplay of two brain networks: the frontoparietal and default mode networks.
—Christian Wolf, Scientific American, 25 June 2025
The Borrower Defense rule has been in place since 1994 but was rewritten by the Biden administration in 2022 to make the process easier for borrowers who were defrauded by a college to have those loans forgiven before a default, Forbes reported.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for default
Recent Examples of Synonyms for default
Noun
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There had to be some human hand at work engineering this great misfortune — even if only through negligence.—
The Editors,
National Review,
7 July 2025
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The lawsuit alleges negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligence, according to the Connecticut Mirror. Anthony Spinella, her attorney, told the Connecticut Mirror that Ortiz was seeking $3 million in damages.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Those who depend on freewheeling and shoot-from-the-hip strategies and tactics to address a crisis are ignoring or disregarding fundamental crisis management best practices that favor a calm, deliberate, and thoughtful approach.—
Edward Segal,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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While Paladino’s nonsense was rightfully ignored, a letter from a member of the House majority to the AG may not be ignored, especially this AG, especially under this president.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Officials said that the situation at Harvard represents not simply a failure to address specific incidents, but a structural climate that has allowed antisemitism to persist, prompting government intervention to uphold civil rights standards.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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But those failures don’t matter as much because the company’s worth is associated with the publicity surrounding its cult of personality.—
Maximo Bratter,
Sun Sentinel,
30 June 2025
Verb
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The Dalai Lama, however, has said that his successor will be born outside China and has urged his followers to disregard any appointment made by the Chinese Communist Party.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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The Watergate scandal did inspire the creation of the Freedom of Information Act, which Gillett disregards.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2025
Noun
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In 2023, allegations of abuse and neglect emerged from a congregate care home in Harwinton that served teenage girls.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
-
Jail records show the mother was charged with neglect of a dependent.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
23 June 2025
Verb
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More importantly, the research simply omitted huge numbers of poor people from its data base.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The pink soldiers omitted some helpful information when explaining how this game would work.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The senior fed a pass over to Kelly, who immediately turned his attention toward the cage and fired away.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2025
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Some of those past efforts, which had been largely passed over for years, are now being thrust back into the spotlight.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Related article Gay rights icon Harvey Milk’s legacy slighted by decision to rename Navy ship Wald says that waiting to transition can create additional psychological distress for a child and can raise their risk of depression, suicidality, self-harm or substance misuse.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
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Despite Meg’s efforts to connect, Ellen (Kyra Sedgwick) repeatedly slights her future daughter-in-law.—
Natalia Winkelman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/default. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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