1
as in to die
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to forget
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fail
Last July, when the blade failed, foam fiberglass and other debris settled to the ocean floor, entered the water table and littered Nantucket beaches for months.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
The agency failed to answer thousands of calls from flood survivors after allowing contracts for call-center workers to lapse one day after the disaster, according to The New York Times.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
The Padres had a runner at second with one out in the seventh and ninth innings and failed to score.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
My father, whom my mother married and divorced twice, failed to convince me to attend the only college that accepted me.
—Rebecca Chace
july 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
The agency failed to answer thousands of calls from flood survivors after allowing contracts for call-center workers to lapse one day after the disaster, according to The New York Times.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
The Padres had a runner at second with one out in the seventh and ninth innings and failed to score.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
My father, whom my mother married and divorced twice, failed to convince me to attend the only college that accepted me.
—Rebecca Chace
july 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail
Verb
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The department’s homicide unit is investigating the death, as is the department’s protocol when someone dies while in custody.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
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In Gaza, though, no one knows precisely how many people have died, or what proportion were innocents; the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, maintains that more than half were women and children.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Verb
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In handcuffs, Miyake collapsed momentarily outside.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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Together, they’re poised to do something far more radical: collapse the traditional SaaS model and usher in a new era of decentralized, intelligent orchestration.—
Deepinder Singh Sethi,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The Dolomites are truly the star of the show here, and the sweeping views do not disappoint.—
Hannah Freedman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 July 2025
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The American Century Championship is one of the most entertaining golf events of the year, and day one did not disappoint, as Charles Barkley and Steph Curry put on a show.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Verb
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The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Child and pet safety: Never forget to safeguard young children and pets by not leaving them unattended in vehicles, especially during scorching weather when car interiors can become life-threateningly hot.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
11 July 2025
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And don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok—or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Earlier that day, another drone crashed near the airport in Kirkuk, which was previously hit four days earlier with rockets in another unclaimed attack.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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The wrong-way driver crashed head-on into another car near Esters Boulevard, according to police.—
Samara Gerstle,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Conduct targeted workplace surveys to understand how employees experience the office today—what works, what doesn’t and what’s missing.—
Alaa Pasha,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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After missing all 11 of his three-pointers in three games in San Francisco, Jakucionis made five of nine threes on Friday before going 0 for 2 on Sunday.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The celestial trio will remain close to each other throughout the night, with Saturn and Neptune eventually fading from sight in the southern sky when the sun rises on July 16.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
15 July 2025
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The brand recommends avoiding dabbing or blotting after applying the spray, as this can cause the fragrance to break down and fade.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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