as in reliable
not likely to fail
flowers have been traditionally regarded as the fail-safe gift for Valentine's Day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in precaution
a measure taken to preclude loss or injury
there are so many fail-safes built into the system that a highly unlikely series of mistakes would have to be made before failure could occur
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fail-safe
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
With this circuit, the overall system remains fail-safe in the event that one or more components fail.
—Wally Rippel, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2025
Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023
Shop Now 10 Navy Blue In areas with strict historic guidelines, navy blue is often a fail-safe.
—Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, 17 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fail-safe
Adjective
Sweetman argues that his lander’s benthic chamber — a device used to measure oxygen exchange in seafloor sediment — has enough fail-safe features to ensure the experiments weren’t fouled by stowaway air bubbles.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
With this circuit, the overall system remains fail-safe in the event that one or more components fail.
—Wally Rippel, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
The idea was to make bank oversight both stricter and more fail-safe.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023
Shop Now 10 Navy Blue In areas with strict historic guidelines, navy blue is often a fail-safe.
—Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, 17 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fail-safe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail-safe
Adjective
-
As such, trees grown from seed provide a reliable and affordable (free) option for backyard growers.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
-
People will see you as reliable and realistic yet open to imaginative ideas.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Always follow proper procedures and ensure fire safety precautions are in place to prevent accidents.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2025
-
To prevent gulls from nesting on rooftops, it is recommended to take precautions during the winter, before the birds begin to settle, and to steer clear from chicks and nests.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Schedule Breaks To Recharge Hopping from one video call to another without a pause is a surefire way to fry your brain.—
Jason Richmond,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
There's no surefire way to avoid car depreciation entirely, but proper maintenance and upkeep can help drivers retain as much of their vehicle's value as possible.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Noun
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Padlocks, sickles and other objects made of iron, a metal said to possess anti-demonic powers, were stashed in the grave as preventives.—
Franz Lidz,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2023
-
But although human vaccines function primarily as preventives, offering immunity to animals such as black-footed ferrets can be a conservation strategy of last resort.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2023
Adjective
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Related article With no clear exit strategy in Iran, Israel risks another war with no end The bomb shelters have not offered infallible protection.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
16 June 2025
-
Authoritarian leaders frequently operate from deep insecurity or an overwhelming need to appear infallible.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fail-safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail-safe. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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