as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
a default in the repayment of a bank loan
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of default
Tevon Blair, Essence, 9 Jan. 2026
The Kansas City Business Journal was the first to report the CID bond default.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Spending more on other products, especially housing, means households have less to spend on car payments, which is leading some to default on their loans.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for default
Noun
If borrowers are seeking more information about loan repayments, Federal Student Aid provides details on how to prevent default and steps to reverse wage garnishment.
—Verb
When Walker entered a conference room in 2019 and unveiled an ambitious, $1 billion plan to radically improve cancer care in Orange County to a few journalists – who tend to default toward skepticism – the audacity of her hope was infectious.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for default
Noun
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The lawsuit also alleges WSU was liable for claims of outrageous conduct and other forms of negligence.—
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The legal claims included negligence, wrongful death, deceptive trade practices, and product liability.—
Verb
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Authorities said Sutton ignored multiple commands to comply and resisted detention.—
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The background checks on Cook, if in fact there were any, were totally ignored.—
Noun
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Patients’ failure to take their medicine as prescribed is a major challenge that contributes to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and billions of dollars in health care costs annually.—
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Continue reading … SKIDDING TO SAFETY – All plane tires burst on Boeing 767 during harrowing landing failure.—
Verb
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude disregarded all threats of legal action, directing Running Fence to complete its predestined voyage into the sea.—
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Some of them blatantly disregarded social distancing and basic hand-washing policies and didn’t separate COVID-19 patients’ and non-COVID patients’ laundry.—
Noun
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The sites of protest include small cities such as Abadan and the Kurdish-majority Malekshahi in the southwestern Ilam province, where economic grievances, unemployment, and state neglect are stark.—
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For neighborhood residents, the properties have become symbols of disinvestment and neglect, drawing growing calls for city government to intervene.—
Verb
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The $349 billion budget, which Newsom released Friday, would omit a large homelessness grant that cities and counties have relied on each year to address the severe crisis since Newsom took office in 2019.—
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A number of nutrition and public health experts were shocked by the new guidelines omitting clear recommendations for alcohol.—
Verb
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And the health department is hearing from other providers who are being passed over.—
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Alarmists will often focus on the negative while passing over potential positive outcomes.—
Verb
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But try to understand why your mom's feeling slighted.—
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Paramount feels slighted and discriminated against in the sale process.—
Cite this Entry
“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/default. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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