failing that
idiom
formal
: if something (already specified) does not happen or succeed
We could try to persuade them by arguing or, failing that, we could threaten to cancel the deal.
Examples of failing that in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Moreover, Kremlin insiders suspect that the 50-day window before any new US sanctions hit is plenty of time for their military push in Ukraine to pay off – or, failing that, for a notoriously changeable President Trump to change his mind on Russia once again.
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Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
The theory: By putting pressure on corporate margins and stoking uncertainty, the White House was attempting to engineer the very conditions that would force the Fed to cut rates — and failing that, is now seeking to deflect blame for the economic fallout of its own policies.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
The theory: By putting pressure on corporate margins and stoking uncertainty, the White House was attempting to engineer the very conditions that would force the Fed to cut interest rates — and, failing that, now hopes to deflect blame for the economic fallout from its own policies.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
That would leave a reasonable amount of time to try to find a resolution with Liverpool, or failing that, reach an agreement somewhere else.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
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Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
The theory: By putting pressure on corporate margins and stoking uncertainty, the White House was attempting to engineer the very conditions that would force the Fed to cut rates — and failing that, is now seeking to deflect blame for the economic fallout of its own policies.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
The theory: By putting pressure on corporate margins and stoking uncertainty, the White House was attempting to engineer the very conditions that would force the Fed to cut interest rates — and, failing that, now hopes to deflect blame for the economic fallout from its own policies.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
That would leave a reasonable amount of time to try to find a resolution with Liverpool, or failing that, reach an agreement somewhere else.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failing that
Cite this Entry
“Failing that.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/failing%20that. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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