as in weaknesses
a defect in character
we could talk about your failings, but it would take all night
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Recent Examples of failings
Wilson was also hindered by personal failings.
—
Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
An investigation by the Better Government Association’s Illinois Answers Project enumerated the most striking failings of the city’s anti-displacement efforts.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.
—Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
The keeper could do nothing but flail and then turn and scream in frustration at his defense’s failings at the crucial moment.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
But if there is no clear-eyed accounting and address of the specific and systemic failings that led to so much loss last July 4, what happens the next time a flood roars through Texas Hill Country?
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Theodat’s suit Theodat’s suit painted her as an accomplished leader who was forced out not due to any failings but because of discrimination.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026
These behaviors are not personal failings.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Shortly after the theft, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu accused the Drents Museum of security failings—a claim the museum rejected—amid mounting threats of legal action against the Dutch.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 June 2026
Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
An investigation by the Better Government Association’s Illinois Answers Project enumerated the most striking failings of the city’s anti-displacement efforts.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.
—Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
The keeper could do nothing but flail and then turn and scream in frustration at his defense’s failings at the crucial moment.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
But if there is no clear-eyed accounting and address of the specific and systemic failings that led to so much loss last July 4, what happens the next time a flood roars through Texas Hill Country?
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Theodat’s suit Theodat’s suit painted her as an accomplished leader who was forced out not due to any failings but because of discrimination.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026
These behaviors are not personal failings.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Shortly after the theft, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu accused the Drents Museum of security failings—a claim the museum rejected—amid mounting threats of legal action against the Dutch.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failings
Noun
-
To get a better idea of the potential path Charlotte could take based on who may be available, The Charlotte Observer got the talent evaluator’s perspective on who the Hornets could pick and some of their strengths and weaknesses.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
-
The Justice Department says the hackers used weaknesses in older routers to change DNS settings.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Scientists note that infrastructure built across active faults is especially vulnerable, as surface rupture can directly offset roads, buildings, and other structures that span the fault trace.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Equipped with cameras and sensors, the robots can identify faults such as broken wires, worn components, and abnormal temperature changes that could signal potential failures, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
That relationship was based on sinners confessing their sins to this vicar.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
The cult wants to live off the land and not rely on any technology in the apocalypse, and believes the Cordyceps brain infection was a punishment from God for the world’s sins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Mike drives Eddie hard in the gym and is blunt about his shortcomings, not to mention his view that Joanne is holding her son back.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
What begins as a story about systemic failures — the difficulty of childcare, the shortcomings of the foster system — contracts into an account of one woman’s trauma response.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Failings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failings. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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