failed 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in unsuccessful

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2
as in inadequate

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failed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fail
1
as in died
to stop functioning my car failed just as I was about to head to work

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2
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office

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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

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4
as in weakened
to lose bodily strength or vigor ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing

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5
as in forgot
to miss the opportunity or obligation failed to mention that he was looking for new job

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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 failed
Adjective
Our children are paying the price for failed leadership and misplaced priorities. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Law & Courts A failed execution in Tennessee and plans to livestream a firing squad are recharging America’s death penalty debate, raising questions about morality and justice. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026 With less than two minutes left and Kansas City holding onto a 30-27 lead, the Chiefs botched the snap, leading to a failed third-down conversion that would have iced the game. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 The failed effort to kill Christa Pike has placed a harsh spotlight on the practice of capital punishment in America, one of 17 countries to carry out an execution last year, as well as the regularity with which those executions go awry. — New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 The failed execution of Christa Pike Wednesday night in Tennessee wasn’t the first time a lethal injection didn’t go as planned. — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 This was the second time this year that Tennessee had a failed execution. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 After a complicated ownership saga that included a failed $190 million auction bid in 2023, the Brodsky Organization and Sorgente Group moved ahead with the residential conversion. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2026 The failed 2-point try and the defense's failure to get off the field coast them late. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
Several lawmakers tried to crack down on immigration during the 2026 legislative session, but all but one bill failed to cross the finish line. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026 Stevenson set about interviewing locals about why the mine had failed. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Despite the double-digit lead, TCU failed to deliver the dagger offensively and gave Baylor multiple chances to mount a comeback. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026 Four runs from first-and-goal at the Kansas 5 failed to get in the end zone, giving the Jayhawks the ball trailing 25-24 to start the fourth quarter. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 Come November, the ballot proposal to legalize marijuana failed. — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 The Ducks failed, with Tyson Ford and Jalen Woods stuffing Thomas on the one-yard line. — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Court records show that attorneys representing Marshall repeatedly asked judges to issue arrest warrants for former patients who failed to appear in court. — Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026 For Kumari's family, making their house livable meant securing something that burst of fame had failed to deliver on — a more stable place from which to build their lives. — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for failed
  1. unsuccessful
  2. inadequate
  3. died
  4. collapsed
  5. disappointed
  6. weakened
  7. forgot
  8. failing
Adjective
  • As the unsuccessful regime-change effort in Iran demonstrated, there are no shortcuts to besting the axis countries, together or individually.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Von Dohlen, a financial adviser and conservative activist who has run three unsuccessful campaigns for City Council, was unopposed in the Republican primary.
    — Katie Bartlett, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • Maryland may reduce a center’s rating when there are too many significant violations, particularly when children are put at risk or there’s inadequate supervision.
    — Justin Price, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The protests began in the Paris suburbs in September amid complaints about overcrowded classrooms, inadequate heating and cooling, aging buildings and teachers who were not replaced when absent.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of inadequate
Verb
  • In the town of Chhatak, also in the Sylhet region, the daughter of 30-year-old carpenter Humayun Rashid died unvaccinated in June aged nine months.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Four people died and dozens more were injured after a fire broke out at a Canadian military base in Alberta on Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday afternoon.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of died
Verb
  • Ryder’s Law was reintroduced this year after another carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park, and in a separate incident, tourist Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after falling off a carriage after the operator lost control.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In Peru, the world’s largest catcher of anchovies, the fishing industry collapsed after the tiny baitfish abandoned the country’s waters for cooler northern climes.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapsed
Verb
  • The California Attorney General’s Office, in a statement, said it was disappointed by the decision and reviewing the opinion from the judges.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Almost every voter — 11 out of 12 — said they were disappointed with the overall job Trump has been doing.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disappointed
Verb
  • Economist Thomas Philippon calculates that weakened competition costs the typical household about $300 a month.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Houthis are the crown jewel in this network, given how much Hezbollah has been weakened.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • With the Powerball jackpot nearing $1 billion a few months ago, Amos Tillet of Los Angeles bought $20 worth of tickets — and then forgot about them.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • An encounter like that would be memorable for most people, but somehow the pair forgot about each other for five years.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of forgot
Adjective
  • The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court, which all got failing grades in last year's survey, saw the biggest gains.
    — Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
    — Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Jan. 2026
Definition of failing

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Cite this Entry

“Failed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failed. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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