fail
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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"Whenever we tried the experiments we normally use to study retrons, they would fail, so we kept having to think of new ways to figure out how these retrons work."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
"France is not heading toward a crisis. But if we fail to achieve the turnaround outlined in the budget, we are headed straight for a wall."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
His recent public appearances add up to a tell on how badly he will fail.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
When signaling systems fail, trains stop and traffic controllers take over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
From my parents’ awful plan to give up Sir Fig Newton for adoption, to my epic fail with the lemonade stand.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
So the asymmetry never fails to trip us up.
From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2026
For even the smallest transgressions between two individuals, it’s antagonistic and fails to provide a productive resolution.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
If it fails in the Senate and requirements for whale-safe lobster operations come into force, "that would have devastating consequences" for lobstermen, Brady said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
This process can take more than a month, and if it fails the president may ask another leader to try.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
The last thing they needed on this quest was paparazzi taking pictures of all Frank’s epic fails.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Observers failed to see the impending downturns in 1873, 1929, and 2000.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Researchers suspected that another molecule was helping the toxin reach its target, but repeated attempts to identify it had failed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
They failed to get the numbers on the board they needed against Papua New Guinea.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“There hasn’t been a moment since that night when I haven’t been in pain. My body hurts,” Pike said Friday in her first comments since the failed execution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Like when Camille failed to mention that she’d gotten a parking ticket.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
By creating these new pathways, the material can continue absorbing forces around potential fractures instead of failing abruptly.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
One threat is to scientific journals, the guardians of scientific integrity, which are seen to be failing to deal with a tsunami of AI-generated distortions.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
A person who’s earnest about learning a language is forever trying to decipher something new, failing far more often than succeeding in the early going — yet always working to master the task.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
They accused RTS of selective reporting and failing to scrutinise officials.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
I keep trying to find the sky’s edge and failing to do so.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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