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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The Toronto Blue Jays failed to agree on an extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
—
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
Conservatives sued to block that effort and ultimately failed, with the district court in D.C. determining that Clinton could proceed.
—Tamara Keith, NPR, 22 Feb. 2025
And although the Magic totaled 52 points in the paint, the Grizzlies totaled 56 as Orlando failed to protect the paint.
—Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2025
At best, presidents picked up-and-coming party devotees like Elaine Chao, a shameless pro-boss hack, or Tom Perez, a nice guy for sure, who failed to deliver any significant gains for blue-collar America.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
Conservatives sued to block that effort and ultimately failed, with the district court in D.C. determining that Clinton could proceed.
—Tamara Keith, NPR, 22 Feb. 2025
And although the Magic totaled 52 points in the paint, the Grizzlies totaled 56 as Orlando failed to protect the paint.
—Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2025
At best, presidents picked up-and-coming party devotees like Elaine Chao, a shameless pro-boss hack, or Tom Perez, a nice guy for sure, who failed to deliver any significant gains for blue-collar America.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail
Verb
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One man testified that his teenage daughter, who had epilepsy, died while taking a bath and that his grief was compounded by knowing investigators possessed photographs taken in her death investigation.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
5 Mar. 2025
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In Nebraska, two people died after losing control of their vehicle amid Tuesday’s winter weather, according to the state patrol.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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More often, husbands or wives or children collapse in tears when the cremains are found.—
David Wharton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
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Scanner reports also said a part of a warehouse structure collapsed in the 2500 block of Texas 121 in Lewisville, and roof damage was reported at a warehouse in the 900 block of South Airport Drive in McKinney.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In September, Reuters reported that Broadcom was disappointed with Intel tests .—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2025
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And while Adam Sandler showed up cozy for a bit during the ceremony, our favorite thing about Sunday's carpet is that Hollywood's biggest names leaned into the glamour of it all and did not disappoint.—
Erin Jensen,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In the fourth quarter of 2024, WK Kellogg reported net sales of $640 million, a decrease of 1.7% compared to $651 million in the same period in 2023, impacted by a 5.6% volume decline and a 40 basis point headwind from the weakening Canadian dollar.—
Joe Cornell,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Gone but not forgotten: Lizzy Caplan is opening up about that Gambit movie that never was, and her honest thoughts on it getting scrapped.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Items in the collab, to be released March 7, include caps with Murakami’s signature, colorful, smiling flowers, clothing, and—not to be forgotten—an all-American favorite collector’s item: baseball cards.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Surfers watching waves crash at Byron Bay’s Main Beach in Australia on Wednesday.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
5 Mar. 2025
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Hughes then collided with Eichel and crashed into the boards hard.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jalen Suggs last played for the Orlando Magic on Jan. 25 and has missed 15 games.—
Stan Son,
The Athletic,
5 Mar. 2025
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The backstop, who missed two months after pulling an oblique muscle on Opening Day last year, is virtually certain to open 2025 on the injured list.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The resin material looks like solid wood but won’t fade in the sun or require repainting.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
23 Feb. 2025
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The young designer with Nigerian-Indian origins has incorporated files and documents into T-shirts, and has used a fading method on some of the pieces and inserted pieces of gold embroidery onto the shirts and dresses.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
WWD,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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