How to Use fail in a Sentence

fail

1 of 2 verb

• The government has failed the voters.
• He felt that he had failed her when she needed him most.
• He failed in his first attempt but succeeded in his second attempt.
• His first company failed, but his second company succeeded.
• But the bond failed — and the idea stalled.
  — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
• Of course, there are male grifters who fail.
  — Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
• Ten golfers failed to break 80.
  — Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
• Lawrence was charged with three runs and failed to get an out.
  — CBS News, 9 May 2026
• The court said all the claimants had failed to prove their claims.
  — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026
• Most fail to work even as vignettes.
  — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
• Shot after shot failed to find the net.
  — Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
• Cell service in packed venues can fail.
  — John Samuels, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
• Ships that fail the screening are turned away.
  — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
• Those efforts have so far failed.
  — Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 June 2026
• To date, that effort has failed.
  — Beth Gazley, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
• When that fails, the scam can move from the phone to the front door.
  — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
• This is the third time the bill has been brought to the floor and failed.
  — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2025
• If these fail to do the trick, maybe others will work.
  — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
• Trump’s trade war isn’t failing.
  — Jacob Bennett, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
• The sense was that the return to the old ways had failed.
  — Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026
• The sense was that the return to the old ways had failed.
  — Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
• Efforts to pass a law have failed in the last few years.
  — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
• Yet Democrats failed to lead even on that issue.
  — Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
• The challenge is not that leaders fail to adapt.
  — Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
• To fail in one’s mission can be more subtle.
  — Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
• Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.
  — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
• If this fails, there is always the great indoors.
  — Ed Silverman, STAT, 29 May 2026
• What’s a tax credit that many people fail to claim?
  — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
• Brown was caught after the raid failed and charged with treason.
  — Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
• The spirit was willing, even as the body failed him.
  — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 May 2026

fail

2 of 2 noun

• But as peanut butter cups, these are a big fail.
  — Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
• Make two quiches at once with this no-fail recipe.
  — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025
• Her class meets for one hour, once per week, and is graded pass-fail.
  — Katie Reilly, Time, 5 Oct. 2022
• For me, this need to be fail-proof kept me on only safe paths for years.
  — Melanie Hicks, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021
• The first hour of every day can make waves over time if spent well without fail.
  — Jodie Cook, Forbes, 24 May 2021
• The trench coat is one of very few no-fail items to invest in for your closet.
  — Kerry Pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, 27 June 2022
• Most weeks saw between a few to half a dozen fail to report their data.
  — al, 20 Aug. 2021
• Some joke that the lighthouse was a fail because a boat ran aground anyway.
  — Frank Witsil, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2022
• If the first five fail but the next five succeed, which is a better outcome?
  — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2023
• TikTok users couldn’t get enough of the first-school-picture fail.
  — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
• From the depths of the earth, to the sky so high/ Thou art a lifeline, without fail.
  — Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Dec. 2022
• While this may seem extreme, enclosing your porch is a fail-proof way to keep birds out of it.
  — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
• Buying him a fresh blanket for those occasions is a no-fail gift.
  — Brittney Morgan and Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 20 Apr. 2022
• When the simplest pieces of a kit fail, a run can become unbearable.
  — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2022
• But they were done with specificity and without fail for each patient.
  — Terry Demio, The Enquirer, 8 Aug. 2022
• There was very much a fail hard, fail fast mentality, which has never been my vibe.
  — Claire Stern, ELLE, 15 Aug. 2023
• But, if not, Rita’s fail-safe is always a good place to divert to.
  — New York Times, 8 Feb. 2022
• For under forty bucks, this piece of gear has proved its worth under heavy use for over five years without fail.
  — Ebony Roberts, Outside Online, 11 June 2021
• Follow the recipe below for a never-fail-method for cooking shrimp.
  — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 21 July 2021
• But there is one moment that signals the end of her day, every day, without fail.
  — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 June 2026
• Adrienne So has dragged hers around the world for more than 10 years without fail.
  — Louryn Stramp, Wired, 22 June 2021
• Every season, without fail, there’s a breakout print that takes over our wardrobes.
  — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 13 May 2021
• As for this latest install fail and emergency fix.
  — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
• Not long ago, choosing the right fork at a business meal felt like a momentous pass-or-fail test.
  — Fardad Zabetian, Forbes, 10 June 2021
• Despite all the fails in this movie, the spirit of Christmas is still at the heart of it all.
  — Katie Grant, Parents, 2 Dec. 2025
• Here, 25 no-fail polo shirts that’ll elevate your wardrobe to new heights.
  — Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 7 Dec. 2022
• The content creator who shows up every week without fail has a system.
  — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
• Easy to transport and made for a crowd, this five-ingredient recipe is a no-fail with guests of any age.
  — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
• When Thursday date-night rolls around, a fail-proof look to reach for is the black shirt and casual jeans.
  — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 12 June 2026
• In practice, timing fails because markets do not move on logic alone.
  — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026