FAILS Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

fails

verb

present tense third-person singular of fail

as in dies

to stop functioning my car failed just as I was about to head to work

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starts (up)

as in collapses

to be unsuccessful despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forgets

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 fails If the upcoming winter fails to deliver a banner snow season, recovering from the drought could take longer. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The graph also fails to account for bigger developments in Russia’s diesel industry related to the strikes. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026 Factory floors are no laboratories High utilization cannot rescue a robot that fails whenever conditions change. — Navin Chaddha, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 The standard fix fails because handbooks rot the day they are written. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Instead of delighting fans by paying loving homage to the movies or winning over newcomers with an exciting fresh take on the material, the show fails on both fronts, swinging wildly from one misbegotten idea to the next. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 If the appeal fails, all of Douglas County’s wins this season would be forfeited. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Modern slips and colorful dresses in fluid shapes are equally strong choices, and when all else fails, a little black dress is a safe bet. — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 But the game management staff, certain depth chart placements and how the roster fails to reach its potential are deserving of an extensive evaluation. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fails

Verb

Austin Dennison, played by David Gyasi, tragically dies in the first few episodes of Season 4.

— Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
In the first, a best-selling mystery author dies, and Benoit Blanc, a charismatic and inquisitive private eye played by Daniel Craig, must investigate.

— New York Times, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dies

Verb

Measuring a quantum state typically collapses it, forcing it into one of two possible answers.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapses

Verb

Broadcom’s Tan cautioned that demand for computing infrastructure could slow if the adoption of advanced AI models disappoints or improvements in their capabilities begin to plateau.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
The legal system dehumanizes her, the support group confuses her, and one of her friends painfully disappoints her.

— Carey Purcell, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of disappoints

Verb

Vehicular crashes As more driverless cars hit Los Angeles streets, accidents involving them have surged.

— Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Elsewhere, Rose, alongside scientist Robert Cunningham (Noah Robbins) and the conference stenographer (Nina Arianda), crashes a boisterous wedding taking place at the hotel.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of crashes

Verb

Southern food may have a reputation for being heavy and unhealthy, but celebrity chef Tiffany Derry says that stereotype misses a big part of what's traditionally been served on tables across the South.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Northern Colorado is much less certain, with a greater chance of finishing closer to normal or below normal if the storm track repeatedly misses.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of misses

Verb

The film is set in Lucknow as the age of the nawabs (Muslim nobles) fades.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Speed without a foundation collapses, and attention in a crowded market fades fast, but trust endures; and trust is exactly what this channel builds.

— Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of fades

Browse Nearby Words

failings

fails

fail-safe

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Style

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

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Synonyms of fails

verb

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