as in fault
a defect in character
we could talk about your failings, but it would take all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dying
Related Words
1
as in crashing
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disappointing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in weakening
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in forgetting
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failing
Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
No fan should be told how to follow their team, nor be scolded for feeling conflicted, especially as Spurs supporters have been put in this unenviable bind by the failings of their club — rather than the other way around.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
This isn’t just about Frost failing at Nebraska and being fired with a 16-31 record after four-plus seasons.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for failing
Noun
What the memoir mainly does is reassure you that Gavin Newsom is a person with frailties and failings.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
No fan should be told how to follow their team, nor be scolded for feeling conflicted, especially as Spurs supporters have been put in this unenviable bind by the failings of their club — rather than the other way around.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Dan Patrick has used the office to block progress and inflame culture wars while Texans struggle with rising costs and failing infrastructure.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
This isn’t just about Frost failing at Nebraska and being fired with a 16-31 record after four-plus seasons.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for failing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failing
Noun
-
When a vehicle loses power, however, electronic doors go from an inconvenience to a potentially lethal design fault.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
-
When the tectonic plates began to pull apart millions of years later, those ancient faults at their edges reawakened, reincarnated as transform faults.—
Evan Howell,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Bad Bunny pretaped the segment inside the casita, faux-falling through the roof and quite literally crashing a family gathering before exiting to the remainder of the performance.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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The Bulls failed in their attempt to construct a team around veterans through free agency and trades, briefly showing flashes of promise in the 2021-22 season before crashing back to earth.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nothing says happy Valentine’s Day like a collapsing birth rate.—
Kate Andrews,
Washington Post,
13 Feb. 2026
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The couple saw major flood damage during the same set of storms, with a wall collapsing and the house later condemned by the city.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The state ended the program and redirected $18 million originally earmarked for it toward electric car incentives, disappointing some advocates.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Dependably disappointing Jim Risch, Idaho’s oldest-ever senator, is now eighty-freaking-two!—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Unbalanced Or Leaning Tree A weakening root system or poor pruning practices can cause a tree to lean to one side.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
My opponent, Tim O’Hare, has led with ideology and performative politics, reducing transparency, weakening public participation, and creating financial instability through deficit-style budgeting and reserve spending.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s also no risk of forgetting to turn an alert off and leaving your data lingering longer than necessary.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
9 Feb. 2026
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Wednesday was all about looking forward, rediscovering comfort — not forgetting the offseason but beginning anew nonetheless.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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If your goal is to get at the truth, or at least our closest approximation of it at the present time, the way to do that is to be scrupulous and forthright about the strengths and weaknesses of every link in your chain of argument.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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This can raise resting heart rate, increase weakness and fatigue, and reduce endurance—even during everyday activities, not just exercise.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Failing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failing. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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