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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disasters
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bankruptcies
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failures
Traditional tampons have vertical channels that can lead to fluid leaks and premature failures.
—
Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Some of these signs reference slavery and the successes and failures of the Freedman’s Colony.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
He was indicted on a perjury charge in April 2021 by a state grand jury looking into school-safety funding failures.
—Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
This community of like-minded folks has been foundational for The Key‘s team, and Yasin was careful to stress that the publication isn’t claiming to be the only voice responding to legacy media’s failures in covering Palestine.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Much of way nuclear power regulation operates in this country today can be traced to 1979 – the year the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania experienced a series of mechanical and emergency response failures that led to a partial meltdown in the plant’s Reactor 2.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
In March, the administration canceled $400 million of Columbia’s grants and contracts, ostensibly as punishment for the university’s failures to address anti-Semitism.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
The result is a byproduct of the cloud services business model, where routine failures become systemic events.
—Doug Jacobson, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Their attorneys cite failures in public safety and the emergency response.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Some of these signs reference slavery and the successes and failures of the Freedman’s Colony.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
He was indicted on a perjury charge in April 2021 by a state grand jury looking into school-safety funding failures.
—Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
This community of like-minded folks has been foundational for The Key‘s team, and Yasin was careful to stress that the publication isn’t claiming to be the only voice responding to legacy media’s failures in covering Palestine.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Much of way nuclear power regulation operates in this country today can be traced to 1979 – the year the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania experienced a series of mechanical and emergency response failures that led to a partial meltdown in the plant’s Reactor 2.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
In March, the administration canceled $400 million of Columbia’s grants and contracts, ostensibly as punishment for the university’s failures to address anti-Semitism.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
The result is a byproduct of the cloud services business model, where routine failures become systemic events.
—Doug Jacobson, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Their attorneys cite failures in public safety and the emergency response.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failures
Noun
-
The Wolves snapped a three-game skid — all of those double-digit defeats, including 153-128 at the Clippers on Wednesday — following a five-game winning streak.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Evans’ loss coupled with final four defeats for Oak Ridge, Lake Mary, Lake Howell and Central Florida Christian Academy marks the fourth year in a row in which no Orlando area boys basketball teams captured a state title.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Less than six weeks later, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was removed from her position, likely a result of a chain of PR disasters from DHS.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The deadly bus fire comes two months after one of the worst fire disasters in Switzerland in recent decades.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Teacher morale is increasingly important as states continue to struggle with teacher shortages, especially in hard-to-fill jobs like special education, science, technology, math, engineering and bilingual education.—
Diana Lambert,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
According to Burton, the situation becomes even more complex when educators encounter resource shortages that affect students directly.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, farm bankruptcies have been on the rise, reaching 315 Chapter 12 filings in 2025, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation report published in February, a 46% increase from the 216 filings in 2024.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In Pennsylvania, the federation says bankruptcies shot up by 160% in 2025.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ownership struggles, wars, economic collapses, and the ever-evolving tribulations of the automotive business brought constant change.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But the secondary was an issue for the Rams throughout the last three seasons, and especially in 2025 as breakdowns led to several regular-season collapses and the NFC championship game loss to Seattle.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
During the course of the film, Grace deals with life, love (including a pair of paramours from the same band), professional disappointments, and the fallout of a horrible experience from her past.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Yet, the depth chart has certainly shifted since the start of the season, as some players have been pleasant surprises, and others disappointments.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As of Wednesday, firearms dealers are required under state law to use scanners that pull the prospective purchaser’s name, date of birth and other details from the card’s magnetic strip, which the new design lacks — except if they are authorized otherwise.—
Madison Smalstig,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Each provides amino acids that the other lacks, so eating them together gives you all the essential amino acids.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But economic setbacks pale in comparison to tragic loss of life.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This effort to grow the latest crop large enough to survive and thrive in nature took 10 years with setbacks that nearly derailed everything.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Failures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failures. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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