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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failure
This is a classic Washington move — blame the private sector to cover for a government failure.
—
Stacy Washington, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Yesterday, when asked about Musk’s criticism--which could sink the entire bill, if enough Senate Republicans like Ron Johnson and their constituents turn against it--the president chalked it up to sour grapes over the bill’s failure to extend EV tax credits.
—Kelly Evans, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Liver failure: Your liver detoxifies substances and medication byproducts in your body.
—Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025
Lynch said Rodriguez was initially arrested on May 28 by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department on five failure to appear warrants for cases from the Bridgeport and Branford Police Departments as well as the Connecticut State Police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Stacy Washington, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Yesterday, when asked about Musk’s criticism--which could sink the entire bill, if enough Senate Republicans like Ron Johnson and their constituents turn against it--the president chalked it up to sour grapes over the bill’s failure to extend EV tax credits.
—Kelly Evans, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Liver failure: Your liver detoxifies substances and medication byproducts in your body.
—Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025
Lynch said Rodriguez was initially arrested on May 28 by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department on five failure to appear warrants for cases from the Bridgeport and Branford Police Departments as well as the Connecticut State Police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
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Wyden is demanding the public release of an unclassified 2022 report that allegedly outlines years of cybersecurity negligence by major U.S. telecom companies.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Fowler could not determine whether this was the result of negligence or an operation with malicious intent.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Although an appeal remains possible, the ruling delivers a decisive and public defeat for Baldoni and Wayfarer in their attempt to reframe the fallout over the film.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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The Champions League brought an elimination at the hands of Real Madrid in the Round of 16 and there was heartbreak in the FA Cup final for the second consecutive year with defeat to Cyrstal Palace.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Similarly, the market-resilience work performed by a lab at the University of California, Davis, offers solutions to farmers and agricultural communities that are vulnerable to intensifying weather disasters.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Federal database that tracked costly weather disasters no longer being updated How to prepare for an earthquake disaster Huge earthquakes have long been an existential crisis for millions along the West Coast, as described in a 2022 USA TODAY article.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
Noun
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At the time Volkswagen was the first automaker to warn of a global chip shortage.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Representatives of California and six other states have been negotiating long-term plans for reducing water use after 2026, when the rules expire, to deal with the ongoing shortages.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The studios won $62.4 million in damages, eventually reduced to a $9.9 million settlement after VidAngel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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Lopez insisted that had to be done through the federal bankruptcy court and a trustee.—
Tovia Smith,
NPR,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The building sustained damage from neglect and vandalism, which prompted Carbone to take the owners to court to request making Torrington the receiver of the inn to find a new developer.—
Emily M. Olson,
Hartford Courant,
7 June 2025
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To report incidents of animal neglect and abuse, contact the Cruelty Hotline at 866-601-7722.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Critics of renewables will rightly point out that renewables are cheap as long as battery storage is not included in their price, and the sudden collapse of an entire electric grid for 12 hours incurs a staggering economic burden that should be priced into cost calculations.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Beutel, a computer engineer specializing in mountain monitoring, had just witnessed a glacier collapse.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Most troubling is a lack of true concern or remedies for a huge problem for America, our national debt, and the service on that $36 trillion debt, which amounts to almost a trillion dollars a year.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2025
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Thomson maintains Luzardo’s issues are a lack of execution.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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