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
In this high-stakes climate, failure is not stigmatized — it’s normalized.
—
Rchin Bari, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Treating this as paperwork will end in failure.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The company also raised from the sea two motors from the previous Vulcan launch last year after one of them suffered a nozzle failure during launch.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 29 Aug. 2025
In New Orleans, levee failures left about 80 percent of the city underwater, with some areas, like the Lower Ninth Ward, submerged under 12 feet of floodwater.
—Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Rchin Bari, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Treating this as paperwork will end in failure.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The company also raised from the sea two motors from the previous Vulcan launch last year after one of them suffered a nozzle failure during launch.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 29 Aug. 2025
In New Orleans, levee failures left about 80 percent of the city underwater, with some areas, like the Lower Ninth Ward, submerged under 12 feet of floodwater.
—Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
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The suit, filed in Marion Superior Court, accuses Meta of negligence and breach of contract.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Due to the pending lawsuit filed by Santa Fe Irrigation (SFID) against the city over its negligence in the dam’s upkeep, Raise Lake Hodges has also been unable to get any information from SFID or from the city.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Biden and, by extension, Harris will be remembered even and perhaps especially by Democrats as symbolizing disappointment and defeat.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Austin Corbett used stronger terms to describe the mood following the 26-10 defeat.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Bureau staff were told the group itself, already gutted as part of mass layoffs at the State Department in July, would refocus on migration diplomacy and disaster response rather than its traditional refugee focus.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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That question frames an episode that opens not with battle, but with the kind of stillness that comes before disaster.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack shut down the largest refined products pipeline in the United States for several days, creating fuel shortages and demonstrating how OT disruptions cascade through the economy.—
Bob Ackerman,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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In a decade that some critics believe has a shortage of newness and invention, slop is one of the few frontiers that’s actively being pushed.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Developers in Miami are pursuing the chance to build something new on the Miami Seaquarium property owned by Miami-Dade County while the parent company of the struggling theme park seeks to raise cash in bankruptcy court.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Common causes include legacy storage, a lack of metadata and cost‑driven neglect.—
Daniel Fallmann,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Now, as a photojournalist working with the Kansas City Defender and as the creator of the upcoming podcast Fountain City Files, Harrison focuses on stories involving missing Black women, systemic failures in law enforcement and community neglect.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Crypto bubbles lead to crypto collapses.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite those gains, the group still recorded a net loss of $517 million, largely due to the collapse of the Capri acquisition and a write-down at Kate Spade.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s encouragement of Walker was enough to spur him into the race, though Republicans as a whole were hesitant, given Walker’s lack of experience and standing as an unknown quantity among GOP voters.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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