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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
However, the driver, a 52-year-old man, failed to stop, and a pursuit began, according to San Diego police officer David O’Brien.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 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
Pitching to his historical pattern of being dominant in April before turning into a completely different pitcher in May, the big right-hander was fine through the first two innings before losing the strike zone and failing to make it through the third.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
However, the driver, a 52-year-old man, failed to stop, and a pursuit began, according to San Diego police officer David O’Brien.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 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
-
Rand argues that the studios are at fault, and that giving them more taxpayer money is not the answer.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
14 May 2025
-
The self-healing capability would enable the grid quickly to isolate and repair faults, reduce the time needed to restore power after outages, and prevent blackouts—reducing the impacts of energy disruptions.—
Deborah Wince-Smith,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
With a newfound sense of self, Murderbot is forced to hide its disgust for human weakness and emotion.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
16 May 2025
-
Proton Mail encourages you to save a recovery key in the form of a lengthy code and a QR code, but that recovery key itself now becomes a weakness.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
14 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
-
Several teams have deployed working systems that demonstrate practical applications, particularly addressing the shortcomings of centralized alternatives.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
If Sam is wrong, his journalistic sin is unpardonable.—
Neal B. Freeman,
National Review,
13 May 2025
-
Harrison’s sin is not trading Doncic, but demanding so little in return from the Lakers.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 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
-
Rather than attempt a feeble defense of himself, Nick attacks June for the same willful ignorance her mother accused her of in Alaska.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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