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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failure
Because of this, investors are now more critical of IPOs after an era where silicon investing frenzies resulted in high-profile failures.
—
Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
Overtopping because of inadequate spillway design, debris blockage of spillways or settlement of the dam crest accounts for about 34% of all dam failures in the United States, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 23 July 2025
The changes address failures uncovered a year ago by the ProPublica/CBS News investigation.
—Cassandra Jaramillo, ProPublica, 12 July 2025
Ford is recalling over 850,000 vehicles due to a potential low-pressure fuel pump failure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
Overtopping because of inadequate spillway design, debris blockage of spillways or settlement of the dam crest accounts for about 34% of all dam failures in the United States, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 23 July 2025
The changes address failures uncovered a year ago by the ProPublica/CBS News investigation.
—Cassandra Jaramillo, ProPublica, 12 July 2025
Ford is recalling over 850,000 vehicles due to a potential low-pressure fuel pump failure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
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Police said the investigation is still ongoing, adding that no foul play or negligence is currently suspected.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
31 July 2025
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The couple is accusing the funeral homes of mishandling human remains, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
Noun
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The Arizona Democratic Party held its statutory meeting on Jan. 18, ousting their former leader, Yolanda Bejarano, and installing businessman Robert Branscomb as the new chair on the heels of the party's defeat in state elections.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
30 July 2025
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The son of Polish Holocaust survivors—his mother watched her mother and brother die at the hands of the Nazis; his father hid for six hundred days in a hole in the ground—Keret writes with irony, woundedness, and, sometimes, an accent of defeat.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Despite a joint preliminary damage assessment estimating over $15.8 million in emergency response costs and infrastructure damage, the federal government denied Maryland’s request for federal disaster assistance.—
Danny Tow,
Baltimore Sun,
28 July 2025
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Phone systems are often down or busy after a disaster.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Virtua's workforce development director works to identify roles with high turnover or shortages.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 July 2025
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The reasons for the rapid decline in these industries include the shortage of younger generations that are willing to take over the labor-intensive family businesses and the increasing market competition against non-traditional food products.—
Akiko Katayama,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Since emerging from bankruptcy, the company has overhauled its menu—streamlining offerings by 20% while adding new items like Lobster Pappardelle Pasta, Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops, and revitalizing favorites including hush puppies and popcorn shrimp.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
25 July 2025
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The documentary was completed prior to Joel’s recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, but there are candid assessments of other struggles he’s endured, including depression, bankruptcy and alcoholism.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Police always investigate a drowning to rule out cases of abuse or extreme neglect, but an absent-minded parent accidentally forgetting to lock the pool gate or door to the backyard was unlikely to land them behind bars, Hoskin said.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
12 July 2025
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Not only in the United States, where academic medical centers (AMCs) are strained by politics, profit models and bureaucracy—but also in countries like Mexico, where health systems are crumbling under neglect and underfunding.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Noun
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Metallica famously initiated the landmark lawsuit against peer-to-peer file sharing company Napster in 2000, which led to further suits that ultimately caused the company's initial collapse.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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The idea of cutting any deal with Maduro is political dynamite in Florida, where more than 350,000 Venezuelan Americans have made their homes and where emotions over Venezuela’s collapse on the hands of the Maduro regime run deep.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The interesting name in that bunch is Haynes, a 2024 third-round pick whose inability to crack the starting lineup last season was because of a lack of play strength, at least according to former play caller Ryan Grubb.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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And that finding offers strong evidence that diet — not a lack of physical activity — is the major driver of weight gain and obesity in our modern world.—
Maria Godoy,
NPR,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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