malfunctions

verb

present tense third-person singular of malfunction
as in fails
to fail to function or work properly A software problem is causing the system to malfunction.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malfunctions
  1. fails
  2. crashes
Verb
  • But too often that has become shorthand for a stodgy and unresponsive sector that fails to respond to customer demand.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • Standard sonar often fails in shallow waters, while cameras are blinded by shifting sands and the simple distortion of rolling ocean waves.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of fails
Verb
  • Security camera footage shared by a local rescue group, Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue Association, shows the monks walking in a single line on the side of a road before the truck crashes into them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Safety tips Rip currents form after a wave crashes on shore and encounters an obstacle in the beach's topography, including low spots in sand bars and around piers.
    — Ash-har Quraishi, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of crashes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

malfunctioning
malfunctions
malice
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Cite this Entry

“Malfunctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malfunctions. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on malfunctions

Nglish: Translation of malfunctions for Spanish Speakers

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