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[dih-fawlt, dee-fawlt] / dɪˈfɔlt, ˈdiˌfɔlt /

NOUN

failure; want

Synonyms

STRONGEST

delinquency nonpayment

STRONG

absence blemish blunder dearth defect deficiency dereliction disregard error fault imperfection inadequacy insufficiency lack lapse miss neglect offense omission overlooking oversight privation shortcoming slight transgression vice weakness wrongdoing

Antonyms

STRONG

abundance accuracy achievement adequacy advantage attention care correction enough excess obedience perfection plenty regard remembrance respect right strength strong point success sufficiency

WEAK

payment satisfaction

VERB

dodge payment

Synonyms

STRONGEST

evade

STRONG

bilk defraud dishonor fail neglect repudiate shirk skate skip stiff swindle

WEAK

leave town meet under arch put on the cuff run out on see in the alley skip out on

Antonyms

STRONG

complete do meet

WEAK

pay

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.

If the companies do struggle to get financing, they might have to cut investment and jobs, or even default, spreading stress through the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The insurance law expert predicted more defensive default settings, stricter age verification, more stringent parental controls and new alerts to nudge users off the platforms will all flow from the courtroom.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

If these borrowers lose the chance to enroll in these more affordable repayment plans, it could push them toward delinquency and default.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Remember, obfuscated servers are the default with ExpressVPN.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

He didn’t know who, or why, or how much, but he knew that some giant corporate entity with a triple-A rating was out there selling credit default swaps on subprime mortgage bonds.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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Example Sentences

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