as in to fail
to fail to function or work properly
A software problem is causing the system to malfunction.
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Recent Examples of malfunction
Building failures, from malfunctioning boilers and coolers to plumbing and roof leaks, are increasingly occurring, some of them during high-profile medical and tech conventions, the most recent just a couple of months ago.
—
Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Ten of those missions successfully landed on the hot, barren planet, but the rocket carrying Kosmos 482 malfunctioned.
—David Ewalt, NBC news, 10 May 2025
Many experts believe that malfunctioning mitochondria may contribute to diseases like Parkinson’s, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 May 2025
Reports of malfunctioning chargers will be sent directly to the contractor that will install and oversee the stations.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Ten of those missions successfully landed on the hot, barren planet, but the rocket carrying Kosmos 482 malfunctioned.
—David Ewalt, NBC news, 10 May 2025
Many experts believe that malfunctioning mitochondria may contribute to diseases like Parkinson’s, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 12 May 2025
Reports of malfunctioning chargers will be sent directly to the contractor that will install and oversee the stations.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malfunction
Verb
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Leaders would be wise to not make overly risky decisions that will fail during an inevitable pull back in btc price.—
Alexander S. Blume,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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La Perla has failed to relaunch in recent years and after German businessman Lars Windhorst’s private equity firm Tennor, then known as Sapinda, took over the company in 2018.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 June 2025
Verb
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But in 2015 the platinum market crashed after it was revealed that the big German car maker Volkswagen had been falsifying exhaust system measurement sparking a scandal dubbed Dieselgate.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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But the first flight in the operation crashed just minutes after takeoff, killing 78 of the nearly 250 children on board.—
Jim Axelrod
June 9,
CBS News,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malfunction. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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