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
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 fail-safe
Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025
For a fail-safe choice, go for a white fabric liner constructed of polyester, canvas, or other natural fiber iterations (that are either mildew-resistant, water-repellent, and/or machine washable).
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
In response, energy companies and shippers are exploring options that could involve billions of dollars in investment in new pipelines, port expansions, and alternative (though hardly fail-safe) routes through the Red Sea.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail-safe
Adjective
At this time, there is no fail-safe way for creators to determine if AI companies have used their work to train models, which can violate copyrights of the works of countless artists.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025
For a fail-safe choice, go for a white fabric liner constructed of polyester, canvas, or other natural fiber iterations (that are either mildew-resistant, water-repellent, and/or machine washable).
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
Noun
Evanston’s Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs Manager Allison Leipsiger clarified on Monday that adding households would be a fail-safe way to reach more people, even if less impactful overall.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
In response, energy companies and shippers are exploring options that could involve billions of dollars in investment in new pipelines, port expansions, and alternative (though hardly fail-safe) routes through the Red Sea.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail-safe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail-safe
Adjective
-
But the systems are only as reliable as their sources, and are prone to misinformation and manipulation.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
Amodei predicts that, over the next five to ten years, AI will achieve, among other things, the reliable prevention and treatment of nearly all natural infectious disease, the elimination of most cancer, the prevention of Alzheimer’s and a doubling of the human lifespan.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
-
Thirty homes below the Anchor Lake dam in southern Mississippi were being evacuated as a precaution due to concerns that rising waters could overwhelm the spillways and compromise the structure, Reeves said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Judge is one of the biggest names in Major League Baseball and a surefire future Hall of Famer.—
Jaylon Thompson
May 26,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2026
-
And as for Lynch and Conde Nast, his company has made growing subscriptions a top priority, since convincing customers to have a direct relationship with a brand is one of the only surefire ways to counter Google no longer sending those customers along.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
In addition to making anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy also downplayed pediatric deaths related to measles and touted false cures and preventives, such as the use of vitamin A.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
The hard part is building systems that make those signals legible to the people who have to act on them — who have to order more stock, shift production, or reposition inventory based on what the model says, knowing that the model is not infallible and that the cost of being wrong is real.—
Karen Koehler,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
-
Even credible sources are not necessarily infallible.—
Christian Perry,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fail-safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail-safe. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
