1
as in to die
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to forget
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fault
a defect in character
we could talk about your failings, but it would take all night
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crashing
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disappointing
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 weakening
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 forgetting
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fail
Marlon Sorto, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Kings Kings rally to take lead, only to collapse in third period of Game 3 loss to Oilers
April 25, 2025
In Game 4 the Kings led with less than 35 seconds to play when Quinton Byfield failed to make a simple clearance out of the Kings’ zone.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
Simon Hughes, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
It is meant as a critique of the ideological gatekeepers who may, for example, blame voters for their party’s failings rather than the party itself.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2025
Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
The penalties for failing to comply are harsh.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Verb
Multiple flights passed over the survivors but failed to spot them, local media reported.
—Marlon Sorto, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Kings Kings rally to take lead, only to collapse in third period of Game 3 loss to Oilers
April 25, 2025
In Game 4 the Kings led with less than 35 seconds to play when Quinton Byfield failed to make a simple clearance out of the Kings’ zone.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
Noun
Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
It is meant as a critique of the ideological gatekeepers who may, for example, blame voters for their party’s failings rather than the party itself.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
Last year, 23andMe agreed to pay $30 million in cash to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of failing to protect customers whose personal information was exposed in this breach.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
The penalties for failing to comply are harsh.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail
Noun
-
Some possible scenarios include: The Department of Justice: If criminal activity occurred, and Evolve is found at fault, then the DOJ could force it to pay.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Trump himself has suggested moral equivalence between the two sides, claiming Ukraine was at fault for provoking the war, that President Zelensky was illegitimate and that the U.S. should recognize Russia’s annexations of Ukrainian territory.—
Eric Green,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Without the puck, Nurse and Bouchard have the same weakness (read and react, wandering).—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
But for many military families, seeking help is seen as a sign of weakness.—
Anne Ritter,
The Conversation,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Noun
-
Like at Philippe’s, the sandwich ($23) requires a few dips in the cup of jus to hide a multitude of shortcomings.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2025
-
But the shortcomings of the air traffic control system have been known for decades.—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
She’s just heard her lover’s sins — the new and plunging depths of betrayal.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Jesus told the woman to leave her life of sin and walk in a new life of holiness.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These common attacks are caused by security deficiencies, including Active Directory misconfigurations, weak password policies, permissive access rules and weak authentication mechanisms.—
Reuven Aronashvili,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
-
Due to the amount of sodium in the standard American diet, sodium deficiencies are quite rare.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
7 May 2025
Adjective
-
During a question-and-answer session, shareholders grumbled about everything from the falling share price and feeble dividend of 6 euros versus 14 euros in 2023 to the complicated WiFi login process and historic lack of shareholder gifts.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But Alex lived strong, died well, gave birth to a pivotal Dutton baby, dumped her feeble aristo fiancé for Spencer, and gave viewers a love story saga.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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