1
as in unsuccessful
Related Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of failed
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
These are two failed world leaders.
—
NBC news,
21 June 2026
Only two failed transfers occurred, both involving extremely thin pieces that slipped from the chopsticks.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
The Board of Public Works approved the grant on Thursday, which will be used to reduce pollution attributed to failed sewer systems located near the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal bays.
—
Cbs Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Major political change has come in Russia after previous failed wars.
—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Steyer has now spent more than $500 million in failed campaigns.
—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
There were no customer payloads onboard the failed Spectrum launch last year.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Today, Libya is a failed state.
—
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
Despite his storied career, Messi failed to score a goal at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
Democrats offered the legislation, which failed on a party-line vote, ahead of a fast-approaching July 1 deadline, when the borrowing limits will take effect for Americans nationwide.
—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Without their political outrage and participation in the rebellion, American independence would have failed.
—
Robert Parkinson,
The Conversation,
24 June 2026
To do so, neutrinos must have mass, which the laws of physics failed (and still fail) to predict.
—
Simon Frantz,
Quanta Magazine,
24 June 2026
Staff at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System recommended Tuesday that the board drop United Healthcare plans after negotiations with the insurer over next year’s premiums failed to yield lower rates.
—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Marshall, a Boston-area native who now lives in Queens, allegedly repeatedly failed to pay her workers or gave them only partial payments.
—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
The city’s police union said Wednesday that the city failed to meet and confer with it over any of the proposals at the LAPD, as required under the collective bargaining process.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Adjective
In the neighboring 6th District, McClain Delaney is trying to hold off Trone, the Total Wine co-founder who gave up the seat for a failed 2024 Senate bid.
—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
These are two failed world leaders.
—
NBC news,
21 June 2026
Only two failed transfers occurred, both involving extremely thin pieces that slipped from the chopsticks.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
The Board of Public Works approved the grant on Thursday, which will be used to reduce pollution attributed to failed sewer systems located near the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal bays.
—
Cbs Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Major political change has come in Russia after previous failed wars.
—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Steyer has now spent more than $500 million in failed campaigns.
—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
There were no customer payloads onboard the failed Spectrum launch last year.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Today, Libya is a failed state.
—
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Verb
Morocco lost a pair of 1-0 games before tying Spain but failed to get out of the group stage.
—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
Despite his storied career, Messi failed to score a goal at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
Democrats offered the legislation, which failed on a party-line vote, ahead of a fast-approaching July 1 deadline, when the borrowing limits will take effect for Americans nationwide.
—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Without their political outrage and participation in the rebellion, American independence would have failed.
—
Robert Parkinson,
The Conversation,
24 June 2026
To do so, neutrinos must have mass, which the laws of physics failed (and still fail) to predict.
—
Simon Frantz,
Quanta Magazine,
24 June 2026
Staff at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System recommended Tuesday that the board drop United Healthcare plans after negotiations with the insurer over next year’s premiums failed to yield lower rates.
—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Marshall, a Boston-area native who now lives in Queens, allegedly repeatedly failed to pay her workers or gave them only partial payments.
—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
The city’s police union said Wednesday that the city failed to meet and confer with it over any of the proposals at the LAPD, as required under the collective bargaining process.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failed
Adjective
-
More than a decade ago, her association sought the same change at the federal level and was unsuccessful — opposed at the time by Wine Institute.
-
The city had taken it over, but several attempts at renovation were unsuccessful, until Alan Leventhal, chief executive of Beacon Capital Partners, happened to see the building and envisioned it as a great hotel.
Adjective
-
But Dr Hon Pak, Samsung’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, feels that model is increasingly inadequate for a world grappling with ageing populations, rising healthcare costs and an epidemic of chronic disease.
-
Newsom in March publicly warned 15 California cities about their inadequate housing plans.
Verb
-
The extent of any aid package will have to match the emerging picture of how many have died, how many remain trapped under the rubble and how many Venezuelans will struggle yet further for food.
-
The family of Binh Pham, one of the crash victims who later died at University Hospital in Columbia, has hired Wendt Law Firm.
Verb
-
Niv Shisler, 24, an aspiring rapper who works at Dorfman’s restaurant, moved to the town last November lured by cheap housing when rents collapsed during the war.
-
The project had to be unplugged within months — before being widely deployed — when the company behind it collapsed.
Verb
-
The business may have disappointed shareholders for years.
-
Many were disappointed that their families were not included in any kind of goodwill gesture.
Verb
-
The decision weakened the federal Voting Rights Act’s protections against racially discriminatory redistricting.
-
Brexit’s tortuous complexity weakened governance and led to parliamentary deadlock.
Verb
-
Its origins are uncertain, with one tale suggesting that a cook at Manzanillo’s mercado left a pot of pozole over fire and forgot it.
-
Half the internet is broken on slow connections because devs forgot users don’t have M3 MacBooks.
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
Cite this Entry
“Failed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failed. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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