1
as in to die
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to forget
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fail
The Department of Justice already failed twice to get an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where a chief judge of the Minnesota Federal District Court found there was ‘no evidence’ that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
The group met at least 18 times in secret and failed to comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s requirements for transparency and public meetings.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The company promised advanced AI features two years ago, and has so far failed to deliver anything of note.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Fewer early-stage startups today will mean far fewer mature companies in the future, since most new startups fail.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail
Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
The group met at least 18 times in secret and failed to comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s requirements for transparency and public meetings.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The company promised advanced AI features two years ago, and has so far failed to deliver anything of note.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Fewer early-stage startups today will mean far fewer mature companies in the future, since most new startups fail.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail
Verb
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Giuffre died by suicide last year at age 41.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Lauryn Hill will perform a tribute to D'Angelo, who died of cancer in October at the age of 51, and Roberta Flack, who died in February at age 88.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Klapper told Jam Press that the tower had partially collapsed under its own weight shortly before completion, preventing him from officially qualifying for the record.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Letting Thwaites collapse arguably violates the Antarctic Treaty System’s environmental-preservation clause, Minchew said.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Best Amazon Designer Shoes Deals Last but not least, Amazon's designer shoe section never disappoints.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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Viewers who tune into NBC’s Super Bowl pre-game looking for pizza ads will be disappointed, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In overwhelmingly Democratic districts, the outcome is almost always predetermined, further depressing turnout and weakening accountability.—
Grace Rauh,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Healthy Rivers and Landscapes’ flexibility represents potentially weakened enforceable safeguards for environmental and tribal groups, as the program relies on voluntary commitments instead of mandatory flow standards.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Williams then instinctively delivered the prototypical football celebration – a headbutt – but completely forgot that his head coach no longer wears a helmet.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Do not forget Chelsea accrued in excess of £84m from winning the Club World Cup and have already brought in another £80m by progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League, with the possibility of more to come.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Bell 407 helicopter crashed on Flagstaff's west side, a few miles from Route 66 in a less densely populated area to the north of Brewer's neighborhood.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Three people were killed and six more were wounded on Thursday after a car hit a bicyclist and crashed into a grocery store in Los Angeles, according to authorities.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Search and rescue mission coordinators, on-scene commanders and the Coast Guard determined on Saturday all reasonable search efforts for the missing crew members had been exhausted.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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But health policy experts have warned the new strategy carries risks for corruption and missing the most vulnerable people.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The designer honors his Azerbaijani heritage, working with artisans from across Azerbaijan and Georgia to create rich, unique textures, while helping to support rural communities and preserve fading artisanal skills.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
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Other factors for the warmer spring include a fading La Niña, a weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean that can bring cool temperatures to the United States.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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