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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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 The company surveyed 5,000 global, circular-conscious Gen Z consumers and found that when a garment fails, 1 in 4 consumers leave the brand. — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 Or if the weather fails to cooperate, a moving picture show may be in order. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026 If diplomacy fails, the most likely scenario is another winter of sustained strikes on energy and other infrastructure by both sides. — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026 Water turns that color when filtration fails, causing algae to grow. — Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 American plans to slow its capacity growth next year after forecasting deeper losses this year as record revenue fails to offset the spike in fuel costs. — Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 An all-black look never fails to look elegant and serves as a contrasting backdrop to your zebra-print bag. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 21 Oct. 2026 As her reporting fuels a nationwide debate, the series explores whether violence can ever be justified when the justice system fails. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026 Protecting investors also presents hurdles if the software handling trades fails or the firms holding the underlying shares run into trouble, according to risk disclosures detailed in OKXICE’s public notice with the SEC. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fails

Verb

One in five people who contract Vibrio Vulnificus — a species of the bacteria that causes necrotizing fasciitis, a condition in which the flesh around a wound dies — typically die, according to the Center for Disease Control.

— Eva Flowe October 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, its carcass provides sustenance for deep-sea organisms for centuries, triggering a shockwave of life.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of dies

Verb

When a reef collapses, hard corals disappear and are replaced by algae, rubble and sponges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
For developers managing a mix of AC and DC loads, Inam says the device collapses a number of machines—including a rectifier, an inverter, backup power and energy management—into a single unit four feet square and 12 feet high.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 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

Even for the game’s best kickers, misses happen from time to time, but the concerning part for the Chiefs is that the funk has become a trend.

— Pete Sweeney October 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
FDEs can drive value, but relying just on vendor FDEs alone misses the bigger opportunity.

— Rex Lee, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of misses

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failings

fails

fail-safe

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“Fails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fails. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fails

verb

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