FAILURES Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

failures

noun

plural of failure

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disasters

something that has failed the students' first attempt to build a homemade rocket was a disappointing failure

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bankruptcies

the inability to pay one's debts years of prolonged economic depression, when business failures were common

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

solvencies

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 The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026 The author argued that the unrest reflected deeper failures by France’s political establishment. — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Special-teams breakdowns — including a 70-yard kickoff return and two field-goal failures — played a big role in the Rams’ 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Nicole Amor, who was killed on March 1, Joey Amor asked about mistakes and fundamental failures that led up to the deaths of those soldiers and how leaders would be held accountable. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 While the labs may argue that AI can do this better than humans could, there’s a possibility that letting AI largely grade its own homework is part of how these failures slip through. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 The installation at the military’s oldest active test base would help shield critical defense operations from wider grid failures. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026 The familiar scent of grilling merguez wafted through the air as Violette began to enumerate the system’s failures. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 Elena asks both parents for accountability over the failures of her childhood. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for failures

Noun

Lose Game 2, and the Dodgers will be two defeats from a bitter winter.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Marseille ended a run of five straight defeats with a 2-0 win at fellow struggler Troyes to move out of the relegation zone.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeats

Noun

Its chief instructor, Wang Kuanghan, has said plans are underway to open five more centers in China within three years, expanding the simulations to other disasters, including fires and earthquakes.

— Lauryn Higgins, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
The administration initially talked about abolishing the agency, arguing that states and communities could deal with disasters on their own.

— Dana R. Fisher, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of disasters

Noun

Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Attacks on oil refineries have led to widespread fuel shortages, while strikes on warehouses operated by Russia’s largest online retailers, Wildberries and Ozon, have caused chaos for micro-entrepreneurs who rely on their networks.

— Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of shortages

Noun

Lenders pull back, firms at the heart of the boom cut costs or close, bankruptcies pick up, building projects are shelved.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Labor market shifts The US trucking industry is shaking off a nearly four-year downturn, a post-pandemic correction marked by tumbling freight rates, carrier bankruptcies, and a high-cost/tepid-volume operating environment.

— Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of bankruptcies

Noun

Here, any distinction between spa and safari collapses, and the outdoors and wellness weave together.

— Adrienne Matei, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
If drugstore brands follow prestige lines into oil-in-serum formulations, the two-step routine collapses into one.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapses

Noun

Through schoolyard rivalries, neighborhood hustles, and family setbacks, Kev turns every disaster into a story.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Despite undergoing a blood transfusion, which briefly provided a glimpse of hope, Jackie continued to suffer setbacks in her recovery due to the sickness, which remained a mystery until Wednesday's announcement by California wildlife officials.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of setbacks

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failures

fain

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“Failures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failures. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of failures

noun

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