fails

verb

present tense third-person singular of fail
1
as in dies
to stop functioning my car failed just as I was about to head to work

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

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3
as in disappoints
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 weakens
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 forgets
to miss the opportunity or obligation failed to mention that he was looking for new job

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 fails Like eyes, ears and lungs, a person can live a relatively normal and active life if one organ in the natural set fails. — Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026 Kick the can If Congress fails to act, payments are expected to be 22% lower, which could be devastating for the millions of seniors who rely on their Social Security benefits to pay for basic necessities. — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026 The draft environmental impact statement fails to consider, in any detail, the foreseeable impacts on endangered species, historic and cultural properties and community water supplies from opening these areas to extractive industries. — Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026 But Putin may see attacking a NATO country as an unprecedented opportunity to break the alliance, by manufacturing a crisis in which the United States fails to act. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026 Assume Paramount is right, that every claim fails and every regulator approves. — Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026 But Lacroix fails to close the space, Sanchez parries Castagne’s shot back into a dangerous position, and Acheampong is not goalside of eventual scorer Gonzalo Garcia, who heads in the rebound. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Pluto fails at this because its orbit actually crosses Neptune's, and it's accompanied by other Kuiper belt objects in neighboring orbits. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 The company never fails to emphasize that its frequent interventions are designed to provide a more accurate picture of media consumption—which, as everyone at least seems to agree, is what it’s accomplished with its out-of-home measurement. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fails
  1. dies
  2. collapses
  3. disappoints
  4. weakens
  5. forgets
  6. crashes
  7. misses
  8. fades
Verb
  • Jaime is charged with protecting the dog and the property — which Isabel’s human heirs can only claim once Prince dies.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Aliet decides, after Kiju dies, to return permanently to her homeplace.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dies
Verb
  • Cincinnati respondents repeatedly pointed to Scott Satterfield, consecutive November collapses and the program’s inability to keep pace financially.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Currency collapses, banking crises, and deep recessions struck the East Asian deficit countries, while the surplus countries bore few costs.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • Gap simply never disappoints, and this slouchy tote is no exception.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The movie itself disappoints him for its deviations from the Stephen King novel (including this detail may help preempt criticisms over this adaptation), but he’s also distracted by the presence of a strikingly handsome stranger (Homer Gere).
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappoints
Verb
  • Siegel noted that measles weakens the immune system and increases the risk of pneumonia, which can stem from measles itself or from a secondary bacterial infection.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Employment has been a mostly resilient area of the economy even as stubborn inflation continues to squeeze businesses and households, while consumer confidence weakens.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Memory loss associated with ECT treatment can include retrograde amnesia, in which the patient forgets events in the weeks or months – sometimes, though rarely, even the years – prior to treatment.
    — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Framed by the background of struggling, working class Mexican immigrant parents — roots the candidate never forgets and frequently mentions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgets
Verb
  • The Honda continues down the street and crashes into a parked car, as Good’s wife, Becca Good, who was recording the altercation, runs after it.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Horrifying videos circulating online show people fleeing before the debris flow hits and a deluge crashes down on them.
    — Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of crashes
Verb
  • But Joe never misses an opportunity to supplant her husband’s rational concerns with her imperial view of a society infected by an unseen, venomous other.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Lake Howell’s defense forces a field goal attempt, and Seminole misses.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of misses
Verb
  • Stimulus trickling in Economists expect better growth for the rest of the year, as adverse weather fades and local governments accelerate fiscal spending.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The sibling drama, meanwhile, rather fades out of view amid these loftier goings-on; the film’s narrative begins to feel devised by the old parlor game Consequences, repeatedly wrenched in erratic new directions.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fades

Browse Nearby Words

failings
fails
fail-safe
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Cite this Entry

“Fails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fails. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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