as in reliable
not likely to fail
flowers have been traditionally regarded as the fail-safe gift for Valentine's Day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in precaution
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fail-safe
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
This suggests gaps in contingency planning and basic fail-safe design.
—
Missy Cummings,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Mar. 2026
Jason Fogelson,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
Making these pork ribs for lots of people is a fail-safe way to impress.
—
ABC News,
11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail-safe
Adjective
Adding even a blandly effective, third-pair option would be a playoff nice fail-safe.
—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
This suggests gaps in contingency planning and basic fail-safe design.
—
Missy Cummings,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
This fail-safe can help, so don’t ignore a warning.
—
Jason Fogelson,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
Making these pork ribs for lots of people is a fail-safe way to impress.
—
ABC News,
11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fail-safe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fail-safe
Adjective
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Andrews, a lifelong resident of Red Hook Houses West, said the community has waited long enough for a reliable pool.
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No reliable figures are available for battlefield casualties in the war.
Noun
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As a further precaution, consider adding background noise, like the TV or a white noise machine, to help muffle the sounds.
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Take every precaution to never leave young children and pets alone in vehicles, especially in extreme heat when car interiors can quickly become hazardous.
Adjective
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If Quaintance had been fully healthy for Kentucky, there’s a world where the 6-9 big man with a 7-5 wingspan might have been a surefire lottery selection.
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If this sounds familiar, that’s because this is a surefire case of de ja vu.
Noun
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In addition to making anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy also downplayed pediatric deaths related to measles and touted false cures and preventives, such as the use of vitamin A.
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Padlocks, sickles and other objects made of iron, a metal said to possess anti-demonic powers, were stashed in the grave as preventives.
Adjective
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Look For What's Missing From The Data Strong marketing leaders know data is directional, not infallible.
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Instead, he was treated as an infallible saint.
Cite this Entry
“Fail-safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fail-safe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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