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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disaster
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failure
On an upbeat note, there's the annual Razzie Redeemer award, given to a past winner who has rebounded from critical and commercial failure to become a respected artist.
—
Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures leading to Oct. 7, and a majority want a wider inquiry by the government, according to recent polls.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025
Microsoft, which also saw its acquisition of Nokia Oyj’s mobile phone business end in failure, is far from alone in encountering rejection by a fickle consumer market.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2025
This is based partly on experience and partly on the drive failure data that Backblaze has been publishing for years now.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures leading to Oct. 7, and a majority want a wider inquiry by the government, according to recent polls.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025
Microsoft, which also saw its acquisition of Nokia Oyj’s mobile phone business end in failure, is far from alone in encountering rejection by a fickle consumer market.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2025
This is based partly on experience and partly on the drive failure data that Backblaze has been publishing for years now.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for failure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failure
Noun
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This evidence was instrumental in establishing negligence.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Their comments came just a few weeks after a court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with the singer’s passing after a fall from a third-story balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last October.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Russian cartoons cast him as Napoleon Bonaparte riding towards defeat in Russia in 1812.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
6 Mar. 2025
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Arsenal has now won five Champions League games in a row, a run stretching back to November’s 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan.—
George Ramsay,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But taking a hostile approach with President Donald Trump now could put federal aid for the disaster at risk.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacramento Bee,
6 Mar. 2025
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Related article What is ‘Kessler Syndrome’ — and why do some scientists think the space disaster scenario has already started?—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In 2024, China experienced a complex situation with AI chips: overcapacity in some areas, while simultaneously facing shortages in high-quality compute needed for advanced AI development.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Some states are reviving older methods of capital punishment due to drug shortages, even as other states reconsider them entirely.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The potential impact of private equity in health care has been on display in Connecticut recently as Prospect Medical Holdings, a private equity company that owns four Connecticut hospitals filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
3 Mar. 2025
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The company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January for the second time since initially filing and going private in March 2024.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Harris, a Biden appointee, will serve until her term expires in 2028 unless removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
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In January, White pled guilty to two counts of child neglect after initially pleading not guilty to the charges.—
Laura Barcella,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s weaponization of longstanding U.S. intel sharing, vis-à-vis Ukraine, could accelerate Five Eyes’ collapse.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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State investigators plan to do a thorough analysis on the deadly trench collapse in Catonsville last week, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Rubin: There was a surprising lack of campiness to this whole thing.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2025
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That was quite the head scratcher given the extended absences of Lynch and Flair as well as the general lack of top women’s singles stars on both Raw and SmackDown.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failure. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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