double fault

noun

: two consecutive serving faults in tennis that result in the loss of a point
double-fault intransitive verb

Examples of double fault in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Despite breaking back to level the first set at 1-1, Gauff served three double faults in her first two service games and trailed 1-3 in 19 minutes. Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026 Gauff had five double faults and was 1-of-2 on break points. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026 Of the three points Abdelkader won, two came from Schaedel double faults. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026 The two players combined for seventeen double faults and more than a hundred unforced errors. Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for double fault

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of double fault was circa 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Double fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20fault. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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