1
as in unsuccessful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in inadequate
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in died
to stop functioning
my car failed just as I was about to head to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful
despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disappointed
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in weakened
to lose bodily strength or vigor
ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in forgot
to miss the opportunity or obligation
failed to mention that he was looking for new job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failed
Duncan S. Demarsh, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Lavery’s protagonist in Meeting New People is an acerbic older woman named Barbara, who is trying to optimize her next and potentially last friendship by analyzing what went wrong with failed best friendships in the past.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
In 1925, Capone took over as boss when his friend, Johnny Torrio, retired after being injured in a failed assassination, the FBI said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
The announcement came as Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick for her failed 2024 White House bid, continues to weather heated criticism over a sweeping fraud scandal in his state.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
In addition, there is also the argument that Venezuela is a failed state and that the military action was with the consent of its populace and did not violate its sovereignty.
—Sandeep Gopalan, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
In this case, because Venezuela is part of a larger set of failed or failing dictatorships, and the intervention itself will cause reactions in many other countries, context is the first thing to think about.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Maduro eventually left his driver job and joined the political movement that Chávez organized after receiving a presidential pardon in 1994 for leading a failed and bloody military coup years earlier.
—Dallas Morning News, 3 Jan. 2026
Georgia finally ran a failed lateral play that ended with Ole Miss (finally) officially winning.
—Grace Raynor, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Elle Meier, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
The Brown University shooting should be a wakeup call to college trustees and administrators, especially now that the US Department of Education will send a team of investigators to determine whether Brown failed to provide proper security before and after the shooting.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Already, a Democratic plan to extend the subsidies failed in the Senate, but a plan passed in the House on Thursday.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
The victims' families allege the university had extensive authority over Kohberger’s conduct but failed to act despite mounting concerns.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The suspect advanced on police after a roughly seven-minute standoff and officers deployed stun guns, which failed to incapacitate him, according to Minch.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Five teachers unions from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland and Rocklin have reached an impasse with their respective school districts after the parties failed to reach a labor agreement.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
While a whole host of startups have cropped up (and failed, considering the challenges of scaling up new materials) over the years, Gucci decided to bring its R&D in-house to ensure that any innovations match the Italian fashion house’s necessary specifications.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
While Zwerner’s pain and suffering have taken center stage in this trial, the upcoming criminal trial would be more likely to touch on what action Parker failed to take, given her duty to protect children, Brown said.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Venezuela was not simply a failed state.
—Verb
The French Revolution began in 1789, and tensions peaked with King Louis and Marie Antoinette’s failed escape attempt in 1791, which ultimately led to their execution in 1793.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for failed
Adjective
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But her appeal was unsuccessful.—
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Industry lobbying unsuccessful to date Some advocates for the restaurant industry have been lobbying to change the way service fees are treated.—
Adjective
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The National Transportation Safety Board in June said inadequate training and management oversight had been among the problems at the company, according to its investigation into what led to the door plug blowout in January 2024.—
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Right before the gunfire at Brown, the suspect stopped in a bathroom at the Barus & Holley building, where a man – later identified as John, per a police affidavit – noticed his clothes seemed inadequate for the cold weather.—
Verb
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One of those rescued, a female landfill worker, died while being brought to a hospital, regional police director Brig.—
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Josh's father Jay Cardiello announced his son's death in a social media post and shared that his son died while playing basketball.—
Verb
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The sofa was so collapsed that getting up from it felt like core strength training.—
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And then on Thursday, after most of the show had been written, a man collapsed in the Oval Office, generating an instantly meme-able photograph of the president staring into the camera, looking oblivious to efforts to revive the prone victim at stage left.—
Verb
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Diners were disappointed to learn that the restaurant had run out of pie before noon.—
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While the secondary received most of the blame, the Bobcats' pass rush disappointed most, contrary to preseason expectations.—
Verb
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With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
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The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Verb
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And he’d been effectively frozen-out by an offense that forgot how to move the ball.—
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Prime Members can unlock exclusive deals on anything Santa forgot to leave under the tree, with prices starting at just $7.—
Adjective
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The Ravens finished with a disappointing 8-9 season, while missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021.—
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The switches came two days after the Commanders' disappointing season ended.—
Cite this Entry
“Failed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failed. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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