1
as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
your failure to check the batteries in the smoke detector could have tragic results
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals
the failure of the school's fund-raising drive was a big disappointment to all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the failure of the potato crop had a devastating effect on the population of Ireland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of failure
The complaints detail owners' experiences with a 12 V power failure and inoperable doors, trapping children or dogs in cars on hot days.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
In February, the Office of Personnel Management told agencies that responses to Musk’s email were voluntary and failure to respond did not equal resignation.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Arena aims to provide value by helping companies to avoid catastrophic machine failures and reduce the effort necessary to complete safety and maintenance.
—Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Have the courage to fail and admit to failure.
—Bill Flederbach, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
In February, the Office of Personnel Management told agencies that responses to Musk’s email were voluntary and failure to respond did not equal resignation.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Arena aims to provide value by helping companies to avoid catastrophic machine failures and reduce the effort necessary to complete safety and maintenance.
—Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Have the courage to fail and admit to failure.
—Bill Flederbach, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
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Poor hiring decisions since late 2021 have created and compounded an environment of incompetence and negligence as well as a toxic culture that has driven away valuable staff, volunteers and rescue partners.—
Michael Wagner,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The civil suit alleges McNutt's civil rights were violated and cites negligence on behalf of the city, Milwaukee Police Department officer Seng Xiong and former officer Lauren Marowsky, and Justin Ellis, the driver in the car fleeing police.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Biden and, by extension, Harris will be remembered even and perhaps especially by Democrats as symbolizing disappointment and defeat.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Austin Corbett used stronger terms to describe the mood following the 26-10 defeat.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Bureau staff were told the group itself, already gutted as part of mass layoffs at the State Department in July, would refocus on migration diplomacy and disaster response rather than its traditional refugee focus.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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That question frames an episode that opens not with battle, but with the kind of stillness that comes before disaster.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But in the Midwest and the Northeast, where the housing shortage remains most acute, prices have kept high.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Developers face rising costs, labor shortages, and supply constraints.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Developers in Miami are pursuing the chance to build something new on the Miami Seaquarium property owned by Miami-Dade County while the parent company of the struggling theme park seeks to raise cash in bankruptcy court.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Common causes include legacy storage, a lack of metadata and cost‑driven neglect.—
Daniel Fallmann,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Now, as a photojournalist working with the Kansas City Defender and as the creator of the upcoming podcast Fountain City Files, Harrison focuses on stories involving missing Black women, systemic failures in law enforcement and community neglect.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Crypto bubbles lead to crypto collapses.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite those gains, the group still recorded a net loss of $517 million, largely due to the collapse of the Capri acquisition and a write-down at Kate Spade.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s encouragement of Walker was enough to spur him into the race, though Republicans as a whole were hesitant, given Walker’s lack of experience and standing as an unknown quantity among GOP voters.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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