failures

noun

plural of failure
1
as in defeats
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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2
as in disasters
something that has failed the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure

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3
as in shortages
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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4
as in bankruptcies
the inability to pay one's debts years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of failures Visible failures of short-term extractive logic, whether in business or politics, erode intellectual cover. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Other major El Niño episodes brought crop failures, devastating peatland fires, and prolonged droughts. — Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 Starting immediately after the arraignment, our motions repeatedly proved that the administration was to blame for the Reflecting Pool failures, not Davey. — Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026 The Dolphins’ failures to defend the run come in large part due to the then-trio of rookie defensive tackles – Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers – that the team relied upon heavily. — Miami Herald, 25 July 2026 Emergency repairs or system failures almost always result in overtime requests, stretching budgets and leading to burnout among employees, according to more than half of utility executives who responded to the survey. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 Lestat may have been narrating his failures this past season, but the series is celebrating its accomplishments as executive producer Mark Johnson announced a season-four renewal. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 July 2026 In 2025, Texas sued Kenvue over alleged failures to warn consumers about the risks of taking the drug while pregnant. — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failures
  1. defeats
  2. disasters
  3. shortages
  4. bankruptcies
  5. collapses
  6. disappointments
  7. lacks
  8. setbacks
Noun
  • Efficiency is always a good thing, but refusing to adapt defeats the whole purpose.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • There were fires to put out; an unbalanced squad, unsettled players, grumpy fans, some truly dispiriting defeats.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of defeats
Noun
  • That was, frankly, ridiculous, and our coverage said as much, arguing that this deep dive into one of Hollywood’s most notorious genre disasters deserved a much wider release.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
  • That official oversees preparations and response to public health emergencies and disasters and is involved in decisions about funding next-generation vaccines against pandemic flu or other infectious disease threats.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of disasters
Noun
  • Food shortages could also prompt huge numbers of people to flee their homes.
    — Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 27 July 2026
  • The agency expects the region will face air traffic controller shortages until next year.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of shortages
Noun
  • The site became available on the heels of two bankruptcies and the ultimate implosion of Rite-Aid, which ceased operations in October 2025 after closing all of its remaining physical stores.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, a joint report published this month by Iowa State University, the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Bankers Association found farm bankruptcies were up in 2025 and 2026 over those of the previous several years, both in Iowa and nationwide.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Definition of bankruptcies
Noun
  • On that end, Genevieve’s central pressure has crashed 64 millibars in under two days, falling from 993 mb as a tropical storm early Saturday to 929 mb at peak intensity – one of the steepest pressure collapses in the eastern Pacific in recent years.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
  • But after a string of epic collapses last year, LaFleur faces the challenge of winning back the trust of his own locker room.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of collapses
Noun
  • Mercury retrograde The Phoenix Mercury are one of the biggest disappointments of the season.
    — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 28 July 2026
  • Apple has also had commercial disappointments, like the Vision Pro headset, and floundered on its Siri assistant.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Definition of disappointments
Noun
  • The Anaheim Ducks, at least, had a lot of pace and tempo to help make up for what Carlson’s skating lacks at this point in his career.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Nothing beats a big package or a pipe to compensate for decorations, makeup, and other lacks.
    — Joyce Mansour, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of lacks
Noun
  • But also quite a few issues, like mechanical problems, operational setbacks and a possible performance deficit.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Mayfield, initially an MVP contender, battles a cascade of physical setbacks that undermine his team's success, though his family life and competitive nature shine through.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of setbacks

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failure
failures
fain
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Cite this Entry

“Failures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failures. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of failures for Spanish Speakers

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