1
as in unsuccessful
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in inadequate
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in died
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disappointed
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in weakened
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in forgot
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 failed
Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The decision followed two hours of debate and multiple failed motions — including a proposal to lower police raises — as leaders attempted to balance equity concerns with budget constraints.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
The failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, launched by Cuban exiles with CIA backing, became both a defining trauma and a lasting symbol of unfinished struggle.
—Antonio MarÃa Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Those include persuading a critical number of merchants to accept payments from agents, while also determining who is responsible for failed and fraudulent transactions.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Surely this scheme would go the way of his failed casinos, airlines, and other imploded ventures.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 May 2026
But generally speaking, no matter the artist’s gender, most songs talk about relationships, many times failed ones, yet women will fill the rooms of men singing about those topics, and the opposite is not necessarily true—especially not in Lily’s case where her lyrics cut like razors.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 13 May 2026
After her failed coup, Emily is poised for redemption and a rebrand…at Coach.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 May 2026
Details vary from region to region, but generally speaking, a kuntilanak was, in life, a woman who died during pregnancy or labor without successfully giving birth to a child (a failed mother, in short).
—Literary Hub, 5 May 2026
Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
Towns called it a collective joy when the Spurs failed to score on the final possession.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 11 June 2026
However, he's refrained from doing so more recently — especially as Collins failed to draw a credible challenger and cruised to a Republican primary victory.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
Initial assessments of the plover also failed to identify any dramatic declines.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
The suit then mentions several instances when Noakes could have corrected the targeting claims, but failed to do so.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
In corporate news, shares in Universal Music Group were seen down 6% following reports that Pershing Square had sold its stake in the group, after two failed takeover attempts.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 4 June 2026
She was briefly considered to be leading the pack of Democrats vying for governor but failed to gain traction, particularly after a pair of videos showing her interactions with a journalist and former staffer went viral.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
Trump promised to accelerate building efforts there but failed to allocate funding for a single new bed in this year's budget request.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 June 2026
Adjective
The hedge fund billionaire turned Democratic activist sank more than $215 million — a record — into his gubernatorial bid, after spending nearly $350 million in a failed 2020 try for president.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The decision followed two hours of debate and multiple failed motions — including a proposal to lower police raises — as leaders attempted to balance equity concerns with budget constraints.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
The failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, launched by Cuban exiles with CIA backing, became both a defining trauma and a lasting symbol of unfinished struggle.
—Antonio MarÃa Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Those include persuading a critical number of merchants to accept payments from agents, while also determining who is responsible for failed and fraudulent transactions.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Surely this scheme would go the way of his failed casinos, airlines, and other imploded ventures.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 May 2026
But generally speaking, no matter the artist’s gender, most songs talk about relationships, many times failed ones, yet women will fill the rooms of men singing about those topics, and the opposite is not necessarily true—especially not in Lily’s case where her lyrics cut like razors.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 13 May 2026
After her failed coup, Emily is poised for redemption and a rebrand…at Coach.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 May 2026
Details vary from region to region, but generally speaking, a kuntilanak was, in life, a woman who died during pregnancy or labor without successfully giving birth to a child (a failed mother, in short).
—Literary Hub, 5 May 2026
Verb
Nursing home operators argued the state failed to properly account for the medical complexity of residents when calculating those payments, reducing reimbursement for facilities caring for some of the sickest patients.
—Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
Towns called it a collective joy when the Spurs failed to score on the final possession.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 11 June 2026
However, he's refrained from doing so more recently — especially as Collins failed to draw a credible challenger and cruised to a Republican primary victory.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
Initial assessments of the plover also failed to identify any dramatic declines.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
The suit then mentions several instances when Noakes could have corrected the targeting claims, but failed to do so.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
In corporate news, shares in Universal Music Group were seen down 6% following reports that Pershing Square had sold its stake in the group, after two failed takeover attempts.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 4 June 2026
She was briefly considered to be leading the pack of Democrats vying for governor but failed to gain traction, particularly after a pair of videos showing her interactions with a journalist and former staffer went viral.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
Trump promised to accelerate building efforts there but failed to allocate funding for a single new bed in this year's budget request.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failed
Adjective
-
If an actor is unsuccessful, their information will be retained only for as long as the Casting Director reasonably considers necessary for record-keeping purposes.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Fertility treatments were unsuccessful.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This trend of inadequate math preparation among first-year university students, UC faculty said in their letter, results in instructors having to reteach middle school math while the level of course content drops below what’s needed for advanced STEM work.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
-
The hunger and economic strike began May 19, including at the Desert View Annex, a wing of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, where detainees alleged subpar conditions and inadequate medical care.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Refracted through the lens of the 2018 killing of one of Clemmons’s few Black peers in tony Swarthmore public schools, the essay reflects on the consequences of systemic disinvestment in Chester, the nearby majority-Black city where Robbie was born, taught, and died.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The medical examiner determined Leyden died from blunt force trauma to the head and other physical injuries.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the film investigates evidence that Greenland’s ice sheet collapsed in the past and asks what that reveals about the planet’s future.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
Crucially, the study found that a major sanctuary called Amyklai remained active after the palace collapsed, and later became important to both Spartans and Lakedaimonians.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Still, if some international fans are confounded by or disappointed with American politics, the feeling isn’t shared by the leaders of FIFA.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
-
But he was disappointed in the eventual results, finishing ninth and seventh in the two events, respectively.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Since taking office in October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto has weakened the institutional guardrails that once constrained fiscal expansion and protected central‑bank independence.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Over the course of two summers, the Kings weakened the fulcrum of their roster by losing Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, then exacerbating matters by casting off Jordan Spence for a modest return.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
On a recent work trip, former NBC news anchor and current CBS correspondent Natalie Morales forgot her hotel room number.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
The captain backed off, but Curry never forgot the look in his eyes, or the venom in his voice.—
Clint Smith,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.—
Noah Alcala Bach,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Failed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failed. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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