How to Use malfunction in a Sentence

malfunction

1 of 2 verb

• A software problem is causing the system to malfunction.
• The hot glue gun can malfunction when users plug it in.
  — Chris Smith, BGR, 18 Apr. 2022
• Those screens malfunctioned and contributed to the flood of raw sewage.
  — Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
• But there are many ways that the vestibular system can malfunction.
  — Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023
• What might work one week, one month or one season could malfunction the next.
  — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 13 Nov. 2020
• Ford said she was left with bruises after the ride malfunctioned.
  — Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2023
• The person with the handgun attempted twice to shoot the boy on the bus in the area of the head to upper chest, but the gun malfunctioned, according to the detective.
  — Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 25 May 2023
• According to a release from the food brand, one of the machines that adds the plastic wrapping to each cheese slice malfunctioned.
  — Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
• And Dollar Tree recalled about a million hot glue guns that can malfunction while in use.
  — Chris Smith, BGR, 9 May 2022
• The driver claimed to have been using the car’s full self-driving function, which appears to have malfunctioned.
  — Allysia Finley, WSJ, 11 June 2023
• The fake sharks, which had been tested in a freshwater tank, malfunctioned in salt water.
  — Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023
• The fire department had been unable to quench the fire until the utility, which owns the malfunctioning cables, gave them the go-ahead.
  — Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
• When a compressing piston malfunctioned, the two men were crushed.
  — Kurtis Lee, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
• At the final dress rehearsal, part of the set malfunctioned and knocked over two miniature art deco buildings.
  — Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2023
• In this story, humans are less the masters of the natural order than a malfunctioning part of it.
  — Matti Friedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2023
• Less than a month later, a man wanted on a felony warrant tried to fire a gun at a La Mesa police officer, but the weapon malfunctioned.
  — Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023
• Because in most places, this is what bottom looks like: Last year, an old Red Line car that was supposed to be replaced in the 1990s malfunctioned, dragging a man to his death.
  — Taylor Dolven, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2023
• And then, of course, there were the three mechanical sharks—which kept malfunctioning in the saltwater off of Martha’s Vineyard.
  — Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 July 2023
• The age of the airbag also affects its chances of exploding as older bags are at higher risk of malfunctioning.
  — Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Arizona Republic, 11 July 2023
• But the gate malfunctioned and other employees working that day couldn’t get in to help her until her eye was damaged.
  — Sahana Jayaraman, AZCentral.com, 27 June 2023
• The defense pointed out that the device could have fallen off the car by accident or simply malfunctioned.
  — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2019
• In a bid to solve that issue, the Philippines will close the whole country’s airspace for six hours on May 17 to replace malfunctioning electrical equipment.
  — Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 3 May 2023
• The right travel accessories should help to streamline your trip without weighing you down or malfunctioning while on the go — but getting the right gear on the first go can be tough.
  — Kaitlyn McInnis, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2023
• The results from the Iowa caucuses were delayed after an app malfunctioned and phone lines became jammed.
  — Tim O'Donnell, TheWeek, 22 Feb. 2020
• Prosecutors said Holland pointed a loaded handgun at the head and chest of a 14-year-old on the bus and squeezed the trigger several times, but the weapon malfunctioned.
  — Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
• One of them attempted to shoot the victim, who was the only student remaining on the bus, though the gun malfunctioned, according to police.
  — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 4 May 2023
• And some 2022 models were recalled for a malfunctioning child safety lock.
  — Bychris Morris, Fortune, 1 June 2023
• Are teens really behind all of the malfunctioning bikes?
  — John Surico, Curbed, 24 July 2023
• Two smaller blazes that flared up during the shut-offs were caused by malfunctioning PG&E equipment that was located outside the shut-off zone.
  — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, 3 Nov. 2019
• An early epiphany helped doctors overcome the malfunctioning pancreas, though: The missing enzymes could be replaced with pills.
  — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024

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malfunction

2 of 2 noun

• Harry Styles knows that the show must go on — even with a slight wardrobe malfunction.
  — Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2023
• There was a malfunction at the house security gate, and Don got out of the car to fix it.
  — San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2023
• The wardrobe malfunction doesn't faze her much, because not much does.
  — Tricia Despres, PEOPLE.com, 30 July 2021
• At first Dudley thought there was some sort of malfunction with his bow.
  — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Oct. 2023
• Dirty shotguns rust, malfunction, and wear out faster than clean guns do.
  — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 27 Feb. 2023
• Variations that seem trivial to humans, like the type of lighting in a room or the shape of the chips bag, could cause malfunctions.
  — WIRED, 22 Feb. 2023
• Imagine being shot out of a cannon, with better views and less risk of a wardrobe malfunction.
  — Laura Parker, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
• The jet crashed on Sunday after what the Marine Corps said was a malfunction that prompted the pilot to eject near the Charleston airport.
  — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2023
• The cape even saved him from people noticing a wardrobe malfunction that occurred later that day.
  — Isiah Magsino, Town & Country, 7 Mar. 2023
• The condition is caused by an electrical malfunction, Trivax said, that leads the heart to stop pumping.
  — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 4 Feb. 2023
• The wardrobe malfunction came a moment later, after the rapper snatched the mic back from the fan, unimpressed with their performance.
  — Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2024
• The primary internal safety is designed to catch the striker in the case of a malfunction.
  — Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2023
• While landing, a faster-than-intended descent caused one of its six legs to malfunction and tip Odysseus on its side.
  — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024
• Check here for updates on everything from wait times and long lines to machine malfunctions and more.
  — Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024
• Fortunately for him, the pants appeared to be lined, so he was saved from having an even worse wardrobe malfunction.
  — Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 5 Feb. 2023
• Technicians can swap out parts like engines, fins, landing legs, and valves that malfunction in flight or show signs of wear.
  — Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 Oct. 2023
• De Angelis’ wardrobe malfunction remains, though her bare chest is blurred in the final cut.
  — Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2022
• With the market unable to match supply with demand, experts are now calling for the government to step in and fix the malfunction.
  — Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023
• Lovitt said that the skiff encountered a motor malfunction during the rescue.
  — Analisa Novak, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2023
• The three wins have all come this month, and on Saturday Prosvetov survived a skate blade equipment malfunction.
  — José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2023
• Fingers crossed that there are no malfunctions for Usher at this year’s Super Bowl!
  — Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2024
• The overflow later caused engine malfunction and listed the ship.
  — Pathom Sangwongwanich, Bloomberg.com, 20 Dec. 2022
• No injuries were reported in the incident, which the FAA said was caused by a braking malfunction.
  — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2024
• Franco also helped his wife avoid a wardrobe malfunction.
  — Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2023
• In context, this disjunction seemed like a feature—an echo of the subject matter—rather than like a malfunction.
  — Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
• The three actors are stuck waiting in the tiny Orca, the fishing boat featured in the movie, while the crew deals with one of the many mechanical shark malfunctions that plagued the production.
  — Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 July 2023
• Our team immediately worked with the devices in that venue to test them again for the next screening and the device worked without any malfunction.
  — Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 21 Jan. 2023
• First, the ship’s diesel generators started to malfunction, and the ship briefly lost electric power.
  — Eric Lipton, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2023
• Authorities blamed an electrical malfunction for the fire, which killed the 87-year-old and her daughter.
  — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
• Hinkle said sparks from an underground equipment malfunction caused a fire to start.
  — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2022

Last Updated: 5 Sep 2024