Thesaurus results for FAIL-SAFES

fail-safes

noun

plural of fail-safe

as in precautions

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

Relevance

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-safes Deeper studies of such events can help manufacturers implement fail-safes to protect solar panels in the future. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026 The team also developed numerous fail-safes to ensure consistent, trustworthy performance. — IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail-safes

Noun

Louisiana health officials are urging residents to take precautions against a flesh-eating bacterial infection following the deaths of five people this year.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026
Louisiana health officials warned residents to take precautions to prevent infections because the bacterium's presence increases as coastal waters get warmer.

— Mike Snider, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of precautions

Noun

But a follow-up investigation by the Oregon Health Authority, made public in February 2024, found the facility was still discharging vulnerable patients, including those with severe addiction, without proper safeguards.

— Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
The Independent reported that the museum has conducted a vibration study and implemented safeguards amid concerns that race activity could affect artworks and historic structures.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of safeguards

Browse Nearby Words

fail-safe

fail-safes

fails (at)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fail-safes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail-safes. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fail-safes

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gnomic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes