1
as in to die
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of fail
Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.
—
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Similar messages have appeared on other federal agencies’ websites since the government shutdown began Wednesday after Congress failed to pass a budget bill.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The news unit has also seen a parade of leaders wander through its halls in recent years, with many moving along after failing to prevail over the difficult trends of the media sector as more linear viewers defect for streaming outlets.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Despite failing to meet initial expectations of a 100-win season, the Los Angeles Dodgers still won their division and won their way to the second round of the playoffs.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Similar messages have appeared on other federal agencies’ websites since the government shutdown began Wednesday after Congress failed to pass a budget bill.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The news unit has also seen a parade of leaders wander through its halls in recent years, with many moving along after failing to prevail over the difficult trends of the media sector as more linear viewers defect for streaming outlets.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Despite failing to meet initial expectations of a 100-win season, the Los Angeles Dodgers still won their division and won their way to the second round of the playoffs.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail
Verb
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About 20 living hostages remain captive in desperate conditions, Israeli officials say, and about 25 more are believed to have died, but their bodies have not been returned to their families.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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Craig Hayden, a 77-year-old church member, died trying to help another member of the church, according to a GoFundMe his daughter-in-law posted.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Only the structures that were already gravitationally bound together at that moment, not including the structures that were still collapsing and contracting on their way to becoming gravitationally bound, will actually be able to hold together.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
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Confidence notably collapsed during the divisive 2016 presidential campaign, the polling service says, with the highest reading in the past decade being 45% in 2018.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And their hero did not disappoint.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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This week they were disappointed.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Taylor has also been an advocate of his own neighborhood, Hallmark, the 10th and often forgotten community within the West End.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
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The historic Gold Rush settlement of Norristown located around where Sac State’s campus is today, is almost entirely forgotten.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One student whose desk is near the wall, asked to be moved after hearing about Sanford's pickup truck crashing into the church itself.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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As Brown crashed hard onto the orange turf of the end zone, his helmet popped off, spinning several yards while Brown continued rolling with the ball clutched in his arms.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Williams, who for many years was the person on KU’s sideline to race onto the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium turf to retrieve the tee after kickoffs, from 1970 until 2020 didn’t miss a KU football home game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 Oct. 2025
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The following clips showed Kourtney and Travis making their way through the scare setup, which included actors dressed up as the film's antagonist The Grabber in the character's terrifying mask, along with a van filled with missing posters for members of Kourtney and Travis' family.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As anger fades into apathy and grief is aggravated by guilt, the public also chooses silence.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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While pie crust seems to be fading away, some chefs would rather think completely outside the box by creating a completely different crust.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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