1
as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
your failure to check the batteries in the smoke detector could have tragic results
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals
the failure of the school's fund-raising drive was a big disappointment to all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the failure of the potato crop had a devastating effect on the population of Ireland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failure
That's up to us to be honest about why that continues to happen and stop perpetuating that cycle of failure.
—
Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2025
Within these settings, members may receive encouragement to share their successes, failures, roadblocks, and takeaways.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
One of the most concerning failure points is compounding errors.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Standing Still Is the Greatest Risk The greatest risk in AI is not failure.
—Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2025
Within these settings, members may receive encouragement to share their successes, failures, roadblocks, and takeaways.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
One of the most concerning failure points is compounding errors.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Standing Still Is the Greatest Risk The greatest risk in AI is not failure.
—Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
-
After an hour of jury deliberation, Cardi was cleared on allegations of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, as well as negligence and false imprisonment.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Overall, prosecutors identified the brands’ negligence in properly auditing their supply chain partners.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
A day later, Fenerbahce dismissed Jose Mourinho, in part due to the defeat to Benfica in the Champions League play-offs.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
With Fritz's defeat, there are no American men left in the tournament.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Recently published studies about people affected by the Maui and Los Angeles fires showed that beyond affecting heart and lung function and interrupting access to medical care, these climate disasters have led to higher rates of depression and even suicide.—
Lahari Vuppaladhadiam,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
As someone who evacuated but was still directly impacted by the storm, Shepard used her lived experience to influence her research on colonial disasters.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But 2025 marks the highest number of staffing shortages since 2018.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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This is driven by a shortage of primary care doctors and patients’ desire for more personalized care, Harrell said.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Was the specter of Cracker Barrel’s collapse and bankruptcy a mere fancy?—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Cash remains hopeful that the provision will be implemented later because cameras could both exonerate teachers who have been falsely accused of neglect and provide evidence against those teachers who do not follow state protocols.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Was the specter of Cracker Barrel’s collapse and bankruptcy a mere fancy?—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ultimately, at over 100 kilonewtons of force, the structure groaned under the force before one of the beams finally gave away in an intentional collapse that provided critical data for the study.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And the noticeable dips also don’t come for the generations of players who would be expecting to play their peak years for England during wartime either — note the lack of games in the 1940s in the earlier graph.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The lack of winning has been exactly the problem during the Chuba years at Carolina.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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