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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disasters
something that has failed
the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bankruptcies
the inability to pay one's debts
years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of failures
Thinking globally and acting locally means electing people of vision, not people who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag without a lobbyist lighting their way under the table, or down the wrong path where for-profit companies rule and teachers are scapegoated for society's failures.
—
Shelley Smith Special To The Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
Despite multiple ongoing investigations, survivors say officials still lack answers about why response failures disproportionately affected west Altadena.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Hontz wants to see more accountability for leadership failures from the top, specifically from James Rothrock.
—Amanda Starrantino, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Chargers fans probably don’t need a reminder of what happened in that game in Jacksonville, nor why years of postseason failures have provided this team its own place in the Urban Dictionary.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, though, the failures of the watchable but empty His & Hers and its disappointing ilk are failures of empathy.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Unlike past outages tied to infra or human error, these failures will stem from opaque AI decision paths.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
We‘ve had multiple chances over the past couple of decades to avoid this return to the shameful failures of the 1800s, but that opportunity is now gone.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.
—Makshya Tolbert, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failures
Noun
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LaFleur has guided the Packers to six playoff appearances during his tenure — two NFC Championship Game appearances in 2019 and 2020, two losses in the divisional round in 2021 and 2023 and two wild-card round defeats in 2024 and 2025.—
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Conditions were only made worse by recent military defeats, crippling sanctions, corruption, and an unparalleled water crisis.—
Noun
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The Packers had seen their season end in two of the last three postseasons in part because of special teams disasters, and Saturday night was no different.—
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Overall, the nation suffered a staggering 23 separate weather and climate disasters in 2025, each of which cost over $1 billion in damages.—
Noun
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At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country.—
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At El Tejaban Mexican Grill in Richfield, sales have dropped by as much as 50%, forcing reduced hours and staffing shortages.—
Noun
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In addition, Qiushi argued against a view in Beijing that real estate is no longer that important to China’s economy, and warned that policymakers need to prepare for possible bankruptcies of real estate companies still struggling with high debt levels.—
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Previous retail bankruptcies show varying approaches.—
Noun
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Both have endured crippling US sanctions that have precipitated economic collapses.—
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The argument against aggression in Ukraine collapses.—
Noun
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Advertisement Books provide us with refuge from disappointments and heartbreak and loss.—
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Yes, rookie draftees got playing opportunities but none was a standout, and the top two picks were closer to disappointments than successes.—
Noun
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So Vegas has to hope that their forward depth is strong enough to balance out where their star power lacks, relative to other contenders.—
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This absence — of God, of love, of plain community spirit — is a metaphor for the whole parish, where everyone is defined by their own lacks and deficiencies, the weaknesses that cause Wicks to despise them and vow to bring down them all.—
Noun
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After back-to-back campaigns filled with setbacks, Scott re-signed with the Panthers on a 1-year deal this offseason.—
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Backups Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris suffered setbacks in subsequent weeks, pushing the Chiefs down to their last options at tackle on the depth chart.—
Cite this Entry
“Failures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failures. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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