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Definitions

fail

[feyl] / feɪl /
VERB
be unsuccessful
Synonyms
STRONGEST
break down decline fall
STRONG
abort backslide blunder deteriorate fizzle flop flounder fold founder miscarry miss slip
WEAK
back wrong horse be defeated be demoted be found lacking be in vain be ruined come to naught come to nothing fall flat fall short fall through go astray go down go down swinging go downhill go up in smoke go wrong hit bottom hit the skids lose control lose out lose status meet with disaster miss the boat play into run aground turn out badly
Antonyms
STRONGEST
ascend go up rise
STRONG
accomplish achieve build correct develop do well succeed
WEAK
capture complete deliver earn finish gain merit obtain procure prosper reach win
VERB
abandon, forsake
Synonyms
STRONGEST
ignore neglect
STRONG
abort blink desert disappoint discount disregard fault forget funk miscarry omit overlook slight slip
WEAK
back out break one's word go astray let down overpass
Antonyms
STRONG
attend pay attention regard remember respect
WEAK
accomplish achieve capture complete deliver earn finish gain merit obtain procure prosper reach succeed win
VERB
lose money
Synonyms
STRONGEST
break close drop end finish
STRONG
crash defalcate default dishonor fold overdraw repudiate terminate
WEAK
be cleaned out be in arrears be ruined be taken to the cleaners become insolvent close down close one's doors drop a bundle go bankrupt go belly up go broke go bust go into Chapter 11 go out of business go to the wall go under go up lose big lose one's shirt
Antonyms
STRONGEST
begin commence continue start
WEAK
accomplish achieve capture complete deliver earn gain merit obtain procure prosper reach succeed win

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Replimune CEO Sushil Patel slammed the FDA, saying the medicine didn’t fail, “the system did.”

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The study’s findings also highlight gaps in disease surveillance systems, which often fail to detect pathogens circulating in wildlife before they reach humans.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

“De Gaulle’s thinking, by contrast, was permeated by a sense of the inevitable and by a melancholy, sometimes apocalyptic, belief that all human enterprises will fail sooner or later.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Its social contract is built on uncompromising moral standards, an emphasis on resolute social justice, and, of course, a distaste for those who fail to properly share those values.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

I slipped and slid in the snow, but I kept my footing because to fall now would be to fail.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller