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malfunction

[mal-fuhngk-shuhn] / mælˈfʌŋk ʃən /


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.

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We’ve had water treatment failures, chemical imbalances brought on by malfunction, E. coli contamination, and the people of Flint, Michigan, of course, appreciate the criticality of clean water better than anyone in the country.

From Slate Aug. 19, 2026

High public debt in combination with these changes in market structure makes a bond market malfunction more likely, BIS research has found.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

“A fireworks malfunction did occur during last night’s post-match celebration at Angel City FC’s game vs. Orlando at BMO Stadium,” the team said in a statement to The Times.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 5, 2026

Earlier, Qatar's interior ministry had described Sunday's incident as an "internal explosion" and a "technical malfunction".

From Barron's Jun. 22, 2026

Luckily he bought our excuse about a water bubbler malfunction.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

When spots in premium-format theaters went on sale last week, ticketing sites including Fandango and AMC Theatres faced a bottleneck of traffic that resulted in buyers reporting malfunctions and marathon waits.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 12, 2026

In a tongue-in-cheek post to Instagram, Glass Animals - best known for their 2020 sleeper-hit Heat Waves - claimed culpability for the lunar lavatory malfunctions.

From BBC Apr. 10, 2026

Strong solar storms however bring more than just stunning light displays -- they can also disrupt communication systems and cause satellite malfunctions and power grid overloads.

From Barron's Nov. 13, 2025

When this protein malfunctions, cells cannot generate the energy they need to survive and perform properly.

From Science Daily Nov. 6, 2025

“Whenever an engine malfunctions, I like to tap-dance around it. Works every time.”

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

The transmission malfunctioned in his 1978 boat, Miss Julie, which he also uses for crabbing.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

The chunky metal box malfunctioned, initially leaving more than 100,000 people without power.

From BBC Jul. 1, 2026

Its woes hit a nadir last week when a radio communications system malfunctioned, crippling nationwide for several hours and leaving thousands of passengers stranded in trains.

From Barron's Jun. 30, 2026

Sharma expected the count to take an hour using bar code scanners, but they malfunctioned in the cold, forcing his team to pull an all-nighter and count manually.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 7, 2026

I can’t believe in the middle of all this, you went and got malfunctioned.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

But she says she has never handled so many iPhones with fried motherboards and malfunctioning touch screens.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

I have a similar complaint, but this relates to a toilet that is malfunctioning.

From MarketWatch Jun. 10, 2026

A van driver who killed the passenger of a broken-down car on a smart motorway where the safety alert system was malfunctioning has been given a suspended sentence.

From BBC Apr. 24, 2026

To do so, Reddick had to overcome a malfunctioning battery and a large deficit in the final 50 laps.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 23, 2026

At first, it scared me, but now I realize that half the time, when the alarms go off, it’s the machines that are malfunctioning, not the people.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman




Vocabulary lists containing malfunction


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