How to Use failing that in a Sentence
failing that
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Guys who can beat a shift or, failing that, beat out a bunt.
—Dallas News, 20 July 2022
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And, failing that, even bigger vats of liquid are on the way.
—Charlie Wood, Popular Science, 30 Nov. 2020
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For decades, you would have been laughed out of business school for failing that one.
—Alan Murray, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2024
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Their mission was to prevent the murder of the host but, failing that, to solve his murder.
—Andrew Wilson, Star Tribune, 13 Sep. 2020
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As ever the best bet is to go play on the new map to figure it all out, but failing that take a look at the official patch notes.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
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For years, failing that test usually meant getting kicked out on Day 1.
—Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2023
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His lawyers are appealing the decision, but failing that, he will be tried as an adult for murder.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, 8 June 2020
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Or, failing that, at least some halfway funny dialogue to toss around.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2023
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Even better: Spend your leisure time away from devices entirely or, failing that, on devices that can’t run work tools.
—Justin Pot, Wired, 19 Feb. 2022
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Apple tends to prefer a Tuesday special event, or failing that a Wednesday.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022
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That could bring on another round of lockdowns or, failing that, lead consumers to choose to stay at home for their own protection, limiting the extent of the rebound.
—The Economist, 11 June 2020
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Some items can be discarded on a dinner plate, but, failing that, a guest should request a better receptacle.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2023
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On a big cable car network, Ho said rescuers could try to gain access to a gondola along the cables and lower people via ropes, or failing that, send a helicopter.
—Salman Masood, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2023
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Truth and facts have been devalued to the point that a major government agency has to tweet colloquial common sense just to try to convince people to do the right thing — failing that, at least not doing the wrong thing.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 2 Sep. 2021
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Most reality programs today need an arc—or, failing that, a gimmick.
—WIRED, 29 Oct. 2023
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But their protection against infection from the coronavirus is transient, and can falter as new variants of the virus emerge — a failing that has prompted talk of regular booster shots.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2022
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Notably, students in seventh grade math continued to struggle most, with roughly 40% of students failing that exam.
—Dallas News, 1 July 2022
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And further, Petersen links burnout with a need people feel to always be working productively or, failing that, to be optimizing their mind, body, or social status in some way.
—Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2021
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Best to solicit a woman for constructive fashion opinions, or failing that, children, who will be brutally honest with theirs.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
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Another was that, in order to trigger the desegregation process, parties had either to petition their local school boards or, failing that, to bring suit in federal court.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023
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And failing that, aim to at least keep your credit card balances below 30% of your available credit line for each card, which demonstrates responsible borrowing behavior.
—Mia Taylor, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2023
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Or, failing that, running your company into the ground in spectacular fashion while screwing over your investors and employees.
—Meredith Blakestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2022
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By being treated well and offered psychological safety, employees can cast off the fears associated with failing that hold them back, and reach their full potential.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2021
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Plan a vacation with plenty of luxury and not too much rushing around, like a relaxing, indulgent adult holiday at an exclusive resort with no kids or, failing that, an upscale hotel with babysitters.
—Isabelle Kliger, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2022
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Parents had to ask permission to attend another public school, or failing that opportunity, leave to find another, costly alternative if that school didn’t work for their student.
—Janine Yass, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021
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Shippers need commitments honored; failing that demands regulatory oversight.
—WSJ, 4 Oct. 2021
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'failing that.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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