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
The president and Thune have shared a tense relationship in recent weeks over the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act.
—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
4 July 2026
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directed Yuba Water days after the rupture to retain a fully independent engineering team to conduct a forensic investigation into the failure.
—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2026
And while one failure need not be an indictment of a slate, and there have been all sort of think pieces as to why the movie failed – was Alcock right for the role?
—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 July 2026
For most of human history, failure carried consequences that lasted a lifetime.
—
Keith Krach,
Fortune,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for failure
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
4 July 2026
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directed Yuba Water days after the rupture to retain a fully independent engineering team to conduct a forensic investigation into the failure.
—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2026
And while one failure need not be an indictment of a slate, and there have been all sort of think pieces as to why the movie failed – was Alcock right for the role?
—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 July 2026
For most of human history, failure carried consequences that lasted a lifetime.
—
Keith Krach,
Fortune,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
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In other words, if that water heater explodes, then the investor will be personally sued for negligence in not replacing it, and the liability shield of the real property company is thus circumvented.
-
The passengers are accusing Delta of negligence, negligence per se and a violation of the Montreal Convention.
Noun
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The film culminates in the Battle of the Monongahela in 1755, where Washington steps up and delivers a rousing speech to the British army despite their defeat.
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That conversion and conquest crusade brought disease and defeat to native Californians, whose numbers and ways of life would be all but exterminated by the time the United States of America celebrated its first 100 years.
Noun
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Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.
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The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.
Noun
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Despite the overwhelming demand for medical services and the shortage of supplies in Venezuela’s public health system, Domingo Luciani Hospital in the capital of Caracas coped with an influx of patients thanks to a flood of donations.
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With the rise in demand by retail users, compute providers are also facing significant shortages, raising their prices, and are rushing to develop more hardware.
Noun
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Five years ago, the restaurant was saved from the brink of bankruptcy and closure by Stone and Parker, the team who created South Park and the Broadway show Book of Mormon.
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Days later, the camp owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with documents showing their total debts exceeded $10 million.
Noun
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Some business owners say crime and neglect are driving away customers.
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Disabled people are disproportionately represented in detention, where inaccessible conditions, inadequate medical care, and systemic neglect put lives at risk.
Noun
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Vibrations from earth-moving equipment could have triggered further collapses, possibly dooming Gil — and his would-be rescuers.
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Historians have devoted enormous attention to the collapse of the royal courts, the creation of state judiciaries, the drafting of new constitutions, and the construction of the legal institutions of the new republic.
Noun
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Days before the five-year anniversary of the 2021 building collapse that killed 98 people in Surfside, the federal government has published findings that determined the structure of the Champlain Towers South condominium started failing about three weeks before the catastrophe.
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Chile introduced a tax deduction for catastrophe insurance premiums and resilience retrofit investment.
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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