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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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 Summary The Lindsay Clancy case, involving postpartum psychosis, highlights critical gaps in maternal health support and systemic failures. — Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Fifty years on, these songs capture the feelings and failures not of Los Angeles but of America, too. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026 Now, researchers have shown that an AI agent can learn to diagnose and correct some of these failures on its own. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 The failures resulted in a divorce during the offseason and this exhibition game at Hard Rock Stadium was the first time the couple happened to be at the same place at the same time since the split. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Its failures are human failures, its shoddiness human shoddiness. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 When Coyote arrives at Kevin’s office, the man wants to aim for only a small settlement for Acme’s faulty rocket shoes despite his client’s wealth of evidence of other product failures. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 Rather than actual service failures, those logistical wrinkles serve as reminders that beneath the polished five-star veneer sits a functioning medical practice attempting to reconcile luxury hospitality with individualized medicine. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026 The public narrative around Lindsay Clancy has focused on systemic failures—blaming the mental health system for not doing enough. — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failures
  1. defeats
  2. disasters
  3. shortages
  4. bankruptcies
  5. collapses
  6. disappointments
  7. lacks
  8. setbacks
Noun
  • Mayer’s three professional defeats have now all come in England, following split-decision losses to Alycia Baumgardner in London in 2022 and Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in 2024.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • This move follows recent court defeats for the department after rules to limit PSLF were struck down, raising concerns about the broader impact on public service workers.
    — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeats
Noun
  • The rescue mission had been suspended earlier due to the fear of secondary disasters caused by the overflowing barrier lake upstream of the town.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Information about major disasters is typically released with a delay and without personal stories of victims.
    — Niranjan Shrestha, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disasters
Noun
  • The attacks have brought shortages for ordinary Russians, but the assaults haven’t been as deadly for Russian civilians as the attacks on Ukrainians are.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • However, some experts see higher water rates as a different part of the solution to shortages.
    — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shortages
Noun
  • American exports fell faster than imports, domestic investment imploded, banks failed, and bankruptcies surged.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But in the following year, farm bankruptcies spiked across much of the country, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
    — Scott Neuman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of bankruptcies
Noun
  • Artisanal mine collapses are common in Central African Republic, where thousands of people work in small-scale mining, often with little protection.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Gold mining expands despite safety risks Artisanal mine collapses are common in Central African Republic, where thousands of people work in small-scale mining, often with little protection.
    — Jean Fernand Koena, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapses
Noun
  • The team’s offensive overhaul was one of the biggest stories of the offseason, and the lineup proved to be one of the sport’s biggest disappointments of the first half.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This year, the Sky’s biggest investments were also their greatest disappointments.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappointments
Noun
  • Long used in commercial kitchens for sinks and countertops, steel sinks contain chromium that provides corrosion-resistance and nickel that adds the brightness pure steel lacks.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of lacks
Noun
  • Trump has placed tariffs at the center of his agenda throughout his second term in the White House, though his use of the economic tool has faced some major legal setbacks and stoked heated pushback from other countries.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the program faced regulatory hurdles, technical setbacks, and noise complaints from residents.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of setbacks

Browse Nearby Words

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 1 Sep. 2026.

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