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
Both sets of parents would have surely been willing to help with rent and whatever else was needed for the baby’s well-being, but the couple agreed that asking them for money at this age constituted a failure too great to stomach.
—
Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
Now, the consequences of those failures have grabbed us by the neck and are cascading across our commercial and defense sectors.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Sometimes, this involves social engineering techniques that encourage people to compromise their own systems, but the root cause is often simple human error or a failure to implement best practices within increasingly complex and fragmented database estates.
—Jakub Lamik, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
But the glow of success, and even more so the pall of failure, is always shared.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
Now, the consequences of those failures have grabbed us by the neck and are cascading across our commercial and defense sectors.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Sometimes, this involves social engineering techniques that encourage people to compromise their own systems, but the root cause is often simple human error or a failure to implement best practices within increasingly complex and fragmented database estates.
—Jakub Lamik, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
But the glow of success, and even more so the pall of failure, is always shared.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
-
There had to be some human hand at work engineering this great misfortune — even if only through negligence.—
The Editors,
National Review,
7 July 2025
-
The lawsuit alleges negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligence, according to the Connecticut Mirror. Anthony Spinella, her attorney, told the Connecticut Mirror that Ortiz was seeking $3 million in damages.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Calgary is coming off a defeat, however, having most recently fallen 20-12 to the previously 0-2 Ottawa Redblacks.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
-
The reigning world champions had inflicted a 7-1 defeat on Portugal in April.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
As someone takes on roles that have elements of power associated with it, that can be a recipe for disaster.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The toxic combination led rebel Republican Sen. Thom Tillis to denounce it as a political disaster.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Californians feel the effects of the shortage of at least 3 million homes in their pocketbooks.—
Laura Friedman,
Oc Register,
7 July 2025
-
Ongoing Staffing Challenges The NWS has acknowledged ongoing staffing shortages stemming from federal layoffs and early retirements instituted by DOGE.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite Regeneron's pledges to honor 23andMe's privacy policies, more than two dozen states sued to halt the deal, arguing that genetic information is a unique and fundamentally different type of property than the kind that might normally change hands in a bankruptcy sale.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 June 2025
-
Waters bought the team out of bankruptcy for roughly $7 million in June 2015.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
In 2023, allegations of abuse and neglect emerged from a congregate care home in Harwinton that served teenage girls.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
-
Another round of class-action lawsuits followed, alleging corporate neglect.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
But stablecoins faced a gut-wrenching test in 2022 with the collapse of TerraUSD (UST), a stablecoin designed to maintain its peg through complex incentives rather than being backed by US dollar reserves.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Very quickly, officials realized the collapse had exposed something historic: an ancient Greek tomb, the department said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Red Oak parent Maria Barraza previously warned that the consolidation would destroy the community built around Red Oak, and raised concerns about a lack of engagement from the district with the school’s Spanish-speaking families.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
-
Some listeners began to have doubts about The Velvet Sundown's existence over the past week, with multiple Reddit and X threads pointing out the lack of verifiable information on the band.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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