as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
a default in the repayment of a bank loan
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of default
Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
The loan default is the latest example of widening problems in the Bay Area housing market.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Cory Turner, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
The country had been the first African nation to default on its borrowing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is restructuring loans worth some $13 billion — including debts to Chinese creditors which make up its biggest obligations.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for default
Noun
Most people hunting for Italian food in New York City default to Mulberry Street in Manhattan.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
The loan default is the latest example of widening problems in the Bay Area housing market.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
That means no borrower could newly default on their loans until last June, at the earliest.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
The country had been the first African nation to default on its borrowing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is restructuring loans worth some $13 billion — including debts to Chinese creditors which make up its biggest obligations.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for default
Recent Examples of Synonyms for default
Noun
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In November 2025, a group of other families of campers who died also sued for negligence.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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OpenAI and the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, were named as defendants in several lawsuits that allege negligence, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter, wrongful death, and other product liability claims.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Visiting boats moor in the bay but keep to the far side, close enough to admire and distant enough to ignore.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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And, presumably, she’s ignored that.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Increasingly, the aging building has been experiencing system failures that include the boilers and chillers, electrical infrastructure, plumbing and roof leaks, the City Council was told.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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Defense attorneys say the inter-agency failure is allowing criminals to escape accountability, while federal judges warn the practice is violating defendants’ constitutional rights.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The judge denied the mistrial request but advised the jury to disregard the comment.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
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Lawrence confirmed to Deadline that the revival picks up as if the original series ended with the Season 8 finale, disregarding the events in the spinoff-style Season 9.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Castellanos Triminio faces charges of strong-arm robbery, child neglect, false imprisonment, and battery by strangulation.—
February 23,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
After the circus moved on, Black South African soccer remained mired in neglect, while cricket and rugby continued to thrive.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fennell's film chronicles only the first half of the novel, with several characters omitted and plot points changed along the way.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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Apple, meanwhile, is expected to bring MagSafe charging to the iPhone 17e after omitting it from the 16e.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her accessories, much like her clothing, were tight in number but deliberate in choice—subtle details that gained meaning through repetition—much of which is routinely passed over today in comparison to her clothing.—
Julia Rabinowitsch,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
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What is true, however, even before Crosby’s injury, is that the torch had started to be passed over gradually to McDavid.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Did Probst feel slighted by all the backlash?—
David Canfield,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/default. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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