default 1 of 2

as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action a default in the repayment of a bank loan

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

default

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of default
Noun
Because federal officials don't know exactly who is living illegally in the United States, the systems by default must scoop up information about everyone first. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 4 June 2025 By default, activity is still public, but users can now choose to display or hide posts on a per-community basis. Dan Cody amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Verb
Betancourt’s scheme collapsed when countless borrowers defaulted on their payday loans during the pandemic. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025 Individuals without proper guidance may default to cash- or bond-heavy portfolios, missing out on potential growth opportunities. Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for default
Recent Examples of Synonyms for default
Noun
  • Fowler could not determine whether this was the result of negligence or an operation with malicious intent.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025
  • Wyden is demanding the public release of an unclassified 2022 report that allegedly outlines years of cybersecurity negligence by major U.S. telecom companies.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • What can also be said with certainty, however, is that — even ignoring, for one moment, the events that brought him to Chelmsford crown court in Essex, east of London — this is a story of what might have been.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • The economics are simply too compelling for businesses to ignore: A single AI system can process the workload of dozens of employees at a fraction of the usual labor cost.
    Adam Bowen, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • When the administration announced the proclamation on Wednesday, Trump argued that Harvard’s failure to disclose information on international student misconduct threatened national security.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
  • He was hospitalized for stomach pains, which quickly escalated to the early stages of kidney failure and near congestive heart failure, a result of past alcohol abuse.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • The Edgar County Watchdogs Inc. sued the Village of Dolton and the former mayor for failing to produce financial records after the administration allegedly disregarded Freedom of Information Act requests earlier this year.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025
  • Advancing American Freedom, the advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, is circulating a memo telling Congress to disregard the CBO’s deficit projections.
    Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • In 2014, she was legally removed from her mother’s custody following reports of neglect.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, urban poverty deepened, and some Black tenants accused Jewish landlords of neglect or profiteering — charges that sparked anger and occasionally violence in places like Chicago’s Lawndale and Newark’s Central Ward.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Vance’s account of this dispute conveniently inflates the evidence of Abrego Garcia’s alleged membership in the MS-13 gang and omits the U.S. government’s responsibility for returning him to El Salvador.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
  • Some Leaders Have Started Eliminating The Pre-Meeting Chit-Chat Executives now use a direct communication approach, which omits all small talk.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • What To Know Ames brought her discrimination claim against the Ohio Youth Department after she was passed over for promotion in favor of a lesbian woman and then demoted under a gay man.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • The third session was similar to my second in that Francis applied the PFD patch, increased the wavelength, and passed over my tattoo multiple times.
    Marie Lodi, Allure, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • Aware of the ongoing discourse around Joey Bada$$’s comments—which some took as slighting the West Coast’s current success—Soul stepped up with a diplomatic but direct verse.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 May 2025
  • No one feels slighted that a title won’t be on the line in a WrestleMania main event.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/default. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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