failed 1 of 2

failed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fail
1
as in died
to stop functioning my car failed just as I was about to head to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in disappointed
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
5

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of failed
Verb
Ice in contact with a moldy chute and a knife in contact with a trash can while being used are two of the reasons an Oakland Park grocery store failed state inspection Tuesday. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 And when streaming was in its early stages, companies like Netflix tried—and often failed—to emulate HBO’s success with their own meaty, cerebral dramas. Erik Kain, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025 Sebastian Stan, who won the Best Male Actor in a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe for a A Different Man, also failed to secure a SAG nomination. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025 Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU organizer who was elected on the grateful largesse of the union, has fought CPS at every turn but failed in his attempt to banish schools CEO Pedro Martinez. Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025 Most of the residents who spoke ahead of the council’s vote last month argued that Chan represented the status quo, was overpaid and had failed at his job. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 8 Jan. 2025 But those attempts have failed, most recently in 2019, and Florida has persisted with its harsh penalties. Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 The off-duty officer was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle westbound when the driver of the Accord failed to yield the right-of-way and turned in front of the motorcycle, a DPS spokesperson said in a news release. Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Jan. 2025 Passing that threshold in one year doesn't mean countries have failed, however. Lauren Sommer, NPR, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failed
Adjective
  • Nash’s cousin Allene Love told the Star-Telegram that family members’ efforts to obtain answers from police have been unsuccessful.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
  • At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since President Trump took office, the lawsuit alleges, though efforts by the judge to get an estimate from a government attorney at a hearing Wednesday were unsuccessful.
    CBS News, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Aguilar-Hurtado’s family lawsuit also included nine other examples of jail detainees who have accused the jail of providing inadequate medical care.
    Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Soon, even this inadequate housing began disappearing due ,in part, to real estate development/gentrification and the former hospital patients became homeless.
    Robert M. Hayes, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • One person died and three others were hospitalized following a fire at a residential complex in Bridgeport on Monday.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
  • After a lifetime of making people laugh, Newhart died on July 18 at his home in Los Angeles.
    Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Yet his regime collapsed within days of the start of a coordinated rebel offensive.
    Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The 150ft section of the pier that collapsed, which included a restroom, was being worked on after it had been damaged by storms in the past.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Additionally, the latest retail sales data also disappointed, missing Reuters’ forecasts.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
  • The app was plagued by bugs, and users were disappointed to find that essential features, such as sleep timers and alarms, were missing.
    Sol Rashidi, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • But the militants, while greatly weakened, have repeatedly regrouped, often after Israeli forces withdraw from areas.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Those at high-risk for listeria infection are newborns, those who are pregnant, have weakened immune systems, and those aged 65 or older.
    Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The reason is that Jackson played the part all season long, while Allen meandered through the first two and a half months of 2023 like a zombie who forgot how to play the position.
    Tim Graham, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
  • The former Prince of Wales apparently forgot to tell his first wife, Princess Diana, that the royal family gave each other inexpensive gag gifts at Christmas.
    Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • As for the other big names, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari had to settle for eighth just ahead of home hero Oscar Piastri, with Lewis Hamilton wrapping up the top 10 and earning only one point in what has been a rather disappointing start to his debut season with the Italian team.
    Yara Elshebiny, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • An increasing number of games and player fatigue means managers are struggling to balance their player pools His new outlook has been taken as gospel and factored into all theories about how City move on from this disappointing season.
    Sam Lee, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Failed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failed. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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