Synonyms of failures

failures

noun

plural of failure

1

as in defeats

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

• defeats
• collapses
• setbacks
• crashes
• disappointments
• deficiencies
• futilities
• croppers
• inadequacies
• nonachievements
• fizzles
• nonsuccesses
• insufficiencies
• letdowns
• inefficacies
• ineffectualities

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• successes
• achievements
• accomplishments
• victories
• wins

2

as in disasters

something that has failed

the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disasters
• disappointments
• catastrophes
• bombs
• losers
• busts
• fiascoes
• shipwrecks
• flops
• debacles
• misses
• washouts
• frosts
• duds
• lemons
• messes
• clinkers
• bummers
• turkeys
• clunkers
• fizzles
• dogs
• shambles
• hashes
• botches
• near misses
• has-beens
• also-rans
• nonevents
• muddles
• nonstarters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• successes
• hits
• winners
• blockbusters
• phenomena
• smashes
• dandies
• corkers
• crackerjacks
• jim-dandies

3

as in shortages

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

• shortages
• lacks
• deficiencies
• inadequacies
• deficits
• insufficiencies
• absences
• droughts
• lacunae
• scarcities
• famines
• poverties
• omissions
• undersupplies
• wants
• dearths
• paucities
• crunches
• pinches
• necessities
• needs
• privations

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequacies
• sufficiencies
• amplitudes
• abundances
• excesses
• wealths
• plenties
• plenitudes
• surpluses
• opulences
• oversupplies
• surfeits
• overabundances

4

as in bankruptcies

the inability to pay one's debts

years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bankruptcies
• ruins
• insolvencies
• Chapter 11s

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• solvencies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of failures

Alpha has achieved several successful launches, but setbacks and failures have kept Firefly from establishing a routine launch cadence. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026

The convention, a novelty that doesn’t involve the party business typical of a gathering in a presidential year, is expected to contrast what the party sees as GOP wins, with Trump at the helm, against Democratic failures. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026

Johnson said the judge’s acknowledgment of the system’s failures offered some validation despite her disappointment with the outcome. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

The dam failed, triggering a catastrophic flood and contributing to failures at other dams downstream. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026

And Kerkering, the man who was once the shiny new bullpen toy like McFarlane is now, remains a symbol of past postseason bullpen failures. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Later, after clearing the Silo 1 control room, Victor both chastises Camille for her failures and grudgingly praises her for lying so convincingly that his biometric lie detectors couldn’t detect it. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Not settlement outages or correspondent failures, but fields. — Ran Grushkowsky, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Fifty years on, these songs capture the feelings and failures not of Los Angeles but of America, too. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026