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

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

There is extraordinary work that the United States must do to deter a conflict or, failing that, to deny and defeat Chinese military adventurism. —Bonny Lin, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2025

Academy staff base their work on key performance indicators, which are to provide first-team players but, failing that, provide value to Villa through sales. —Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 22 July 2024

Rhymes for failing that

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat