as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
a default in the repayment of a bank loan
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Recent Examples of default
Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Tap it once to send the current sensor status to the mobile app, twice to put the sensor to sleep, three times to enter Zigbee mode, and five times to toggle back to the default Matter mode.
—John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Early March could bring a fabulous idea for growth, but someone could default on loyalty in some area, so keep your eyes open.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for default
Noun
There are even websites that look for devices that have default credentials.
—Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Tap it once to send the current sensor status to the mobile app, twice to put the sensor to sleep, three times to enter Zigbee mode, and five times to toggle back to the default Matter mode.
—John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
Although squirt boats default to floating at the surface, they can be easily coaxed into dipping below.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Early March could bring a fabulous idea for growth, but someone could default on loyalty in some area, so keep your eyes open.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for default
Recent Examples of Synonyms for default
Noun
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Plaintiffs also allege that the city of Gary’s negligence led to the accident, including because VonBank is a city employee, and the lawsuit claims that the city is liable for his acts.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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In these instances, drivers may still be held liable for ordinary negligence.—
Ethan M. Stone,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But all that seemed to go ignored by the presenter, attendees said.—
Jesse Coburn,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
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But how can justice, let alone a meaningful reckoning, begin when the killings go on, swept under the rug by state officials and all but ignored by everyone else?—
Brendan King,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
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Cycads can be lethally poisonous to dogs due to a toxin called cycasin, which causes abdominal pain, seizures, coma and liver failure.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit further claimed that DHS and ICE are disregarding federal law while moving quickly to implement a nationwide agenda.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
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Hezbollah, the paramilitary group in Lebanon, got involved in the conflict, disregarding the state’s sovereignty and firing missiles and drones from Lebanese territory at an Israeli military site near Haifa.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On August 29, 2025, the Medical Examiner's Office notified the Police Department's homicide unit that the man's death had been ruled a homicide due to neglect.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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This leap is the result of decades of bipartisan neglect of our food system.—
Anthony Pahnke,
Boston Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior.—
William Earl,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
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More than two dozen states now require cursive instruction in schools after the 2010 Common Core standards omitted the skill.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even their best pro prospect, defensive tackle Deven Eastern, might be passed over in the last rounds and be forced to take the harder UDFA route.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
18 Mar. 2026
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But the suit filed in federal court a little over a year ago laid out his frustrations after applying to be captain and getting passed over for a white officer who, according to the suit, had about a third of the experience as supervisor in the department.—
Ken Lemon,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Too few compliments make kids feel slighted, while too many can inspire arrogance.—
Wayne Parker,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
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The right felt slighted, again, this time as the victim of a great left-wing conspiracy to turn football’s biggest night against them.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/default. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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