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
His failure to delve deeper into these flashback scenes and situations is as striking as their undeveloped implications.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
That his ascent coincided with the mainstreaming of nerdom and the heyday of the fuckboy was a stroke of luck, but the bassist and singer born Stephen Bruner knows that men’s hypocrisies and failures are timeless fodder for songwriting.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
Reese’s departure isn’t simply a failure of the front office.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Mizzou said failure to meet the DOJ’s standards could result in funding losses for financial aid, research and other university programs.
—Jack Harvel
april 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for failure
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
That his ascent coincided with the mainstreaming of nerdom and the heyday of the fuckboy was a stroke of luck, but the bassist and singer born Stephen Bruner knows that men’s hypocrisies and failures are timeless fodder for songwriting.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
Reese’s departure isn’t simply a failure of the front office.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Mizzou said failure to meet the DOJ’s standards could result in funding losses for financial aid, research and other university programs.
—Jack Harvel
april 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
-
Originally, five doctors at the Cardarelli Hospital were accused of medical negligence and placed under investigation for manslaughter after the mother and daughter were sent away from the emergency room on Christmas Eve.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In court, the judge said Insua is accused of misconduct and negligence resulting in a loss of life.—
April 3,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jaquez had the best performance off the Heat’s bench, finishing the defeat with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
There is no defeat quite like sitting down for a gaming session after a 10-hour workday, hoping to get your woes out by winning some battles, but your ancient monitor decides to act up.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Taken to an extreme, an ever-evolving idea of retirement could outlive drastic institutional change, perhaps enduring longer than the institutions of American democracy or beyond climate disaster.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Steve DeJong will retire from the Homewood Fire Department after more than two decades to accept a position at MABAS Illinois, the statewide mutual aid and disaster response coordinator.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In response, the Fashion Institute of Technology has partnered with Nordstrom to create a training program aimed at addressing the shortage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Reuse was essential because in many contemporary cities, and especially across China, water shortages could be as much of a problem as flooding.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Applebee’s can participate in the bankruptcy sale if company executives want to.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In states that allowed online betting, the study reported a 10% increase in the likelihood of bankruptcy and an 8% increase in debt collection amounts — outcomes that tended to appear about two years after the practice was legalized.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Texas Department of Public Safety said on Tuesday that the Texas Rangers are assisting the Department of State Health and Services (DSHS) in an investigation regarding complaints of neglect by the camp during the floods.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In 2019, filmmakers gained rare access to document a revival meeting inside an Alabama prison, leading to a six-year investigation into the state’s deadly prison system, characterized by corruption, violence, and neglect.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cenotes are freshwater sinkhole caves formed from the collapse of limestone bedrock.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
While the officiating certainly didn’t help the Huskies, their Final Four collapse went far beyond the way the game was called.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As recently as 2022, research group IDinsight found unintended pregnancy was, after a lack of money for school fees, the leading cause of girls not returning to education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In Miami-Dade, the lack of oversight has been acute, the Herald found.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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