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
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
In all these books, animals serve as mirrors, reflecting our personal and societal shortcomings and shame, our hubris, anxiety, and moral failings.
—Literary Hub, 9 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
Some of these were our own fault or failings and some completely outside our control.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Overall, other countries have already come up with strategies to address the failings seen in the US health system, including reducing healthcare costs, strengthening primary care, and addressing inequities.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
The rapid turnover is not simply the result of individual failings or political misfortune, although those have no doubt played a part.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026
These behaviors are not personal failings.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
In all these books, animals serve as mirrors, reflecting our personal and societal shortcomings and shame, our hubris, anxiety, and moral failings.
—Literary Hub, 9 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
Some of these were our own fault or failings and some completely outside our control.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Overall, other countries have already come up with strategies to address the failings seen in the US health system, including reducing healthcare costs, strengthening primary care, and addressing inequities.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
The rapid turnover is not simply the result of individual failings or political misfortune, although those have no doubt played a part.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 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
-
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
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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 19 Jun. 2026.
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