as in precautions
a measure taken to preclude loss or injury
there are so many fail-safes built into the system that a highly unlikely series of mistakes would have to be made before failure could occur
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Recent Examples of fail-safes
The team also developed numerous fail-safes to ensure consistent, trustworthy performance.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2016
IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail-safes
Noun
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Many of the attacks are easily thwarted by the latest cybersecurity precautions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is pivotal in reducing the risk of wildfires during these hazardous conditions.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Progressive lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced a bill to pause all new data center construction until federal guardrails and safeguards are instituted for workers, communities and the environment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Teamsters also secured additional job protections within the tentative deal including safeguards against AI-powered routing systems and bans on the use of autonomous vehicles.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fail-safes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail-safes. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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