1
as in dies
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 collapses
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disappoints
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 weakens
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 forgets
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 fails
Tapping into the sporting zeitgeist, the slapstick animation, sees Daffy Duck confounded when Elmer Fudd fails to turn up for duck hunting season.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 June 2026
An extended car warranty can save electric vehicle (EV) owners thousands of dollars when a critical component, such as an electric motor or battery management system, fails unexpectedly.
—Emily Mercer, USA Today, 22 June 2026
However, the process demands a delicate balance – too little force fails to remove the sulfur layer, while too much can damage the molybdenum layer beneath, compromising the material’s performance.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 June 2026
If the power grid fails, Prospect Lake will keep on running, Padron said.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026
So, when all else fails, ask for help coming up with an idea to make a summer birthday stand out when a party isn’t a possibility.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 21 June 2026
That looks less like adoption and more like a mandate pushing behavior while leadership fails to make the case.
—Julie Averill, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Have the belt system inspected soon because if the serpentine belt fails completely, important engine components may stop working and engine damage could occur.
—John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Sunday under a law that generally applies when a driver fails to obey an official traffic-control device.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 June 2026
An extended car warranty can save electric vehicle (EV) owners thousands of dollars when a critical component, such as an electric motor or battery management system, fails unexpectedly.
—Emily Mercer, USA Today, 22 June 2026
However, the process demands a delicate balance – too little force fails to remove the sulfur layer, while too much can damage the molybdenum layer beneath, compromising the material’s performance.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 June 2026
If the power grid fails, Prospect Lake will keep on running, Padron said.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026
So, when all else fails, ask for help coming up with an idea to make a summer birthday stand out when a party isn’t a possibility.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 21 June 2026
That looks less like adoption and more like a mandate pushing behavior while leadership fails to make the case.
—Julie Averill, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Have the belt system inspected soon because if the serpentine belt fails completely, important engine components may stop working and engine damage could occur.
—John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Sunday under a law that generally applies when a driver fails to obey an official traffic-control device.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fails
Verb
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In cases where a father kills his children and then dies by suicide, Salinas said the violence is rarely random or spontaneous.—
Sara-James Ranta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
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Romanch Mahajan dies in horse carriage accident The ride suspension comes after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist visiting New York City from India, was thrown from a carriage and killed Wednesday.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Love collapses, and her mother cries out several times before the body camera footage ends.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
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There’s an even bigger problem, though—Charlie collapses on the floor in pain, alone in the office, as the season ends.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Moreover, Citadel is an outlier in an industry that disappoints investors with surprising regularity.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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Sneakers are the gift that never disappoints.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
14 June 2026
Verb
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When foreign investors pull money out of the country, demand for the rupiah drops, and the currency weakens.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
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Every interaction either builds confidence or weakens it.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The customer forgets to cancel, pays for a few more months, and the firm books the revenue.—
HEC Paris Insights,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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Macron forgets his watch Macron appeared to leave behind his watch after eating lunch with several other world leaders.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The theory is that once a critical part fails, the drone crashes.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
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When the team crashes, the leader was steering.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Samuel Moyn, a Yale law and history professor, thinks that debate misses the deeper story.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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Declaring victory for women investors while ignoring why women own less stock turns a gender difference into a gender war and misses the entire point.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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But eventually, the party fades, and the album turns inward.—
Maria Nenet Barrios,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
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The app automatically filters content using quality scores derived from user behavior, so better-quality content is likely to rise to the top, whereas poor-quality content fades away.—
Jill Duffy,
PC Magazine,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fails. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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