malfunction

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

Shake Shack denied charging “no tip” fees after a viral TikTok appeared to show menu prices jumping when a customer declined a gratuity, blaming the error on a kiosk malfunction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 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

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

Those recorded cues act as a fail-safe against technical malfunctions during the broadcast, though the orchestra aims to play everything live.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 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

A "Walter Mitty character" who falsely claimed his luxury electric Jaguar had malfunctioned on the motorway and could not brake, forcing police to bring it to an emergency stop, has been jailed.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

The vehicle had coasted through space but was not in exactly the correct orbit after one of its engines malfunctioned during an initial burn.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

“The likelihood that the M767A1 fuze malfunctioned is a statistical anomaly that was outside any reasonable probability.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

At the same moment that Anderson’s hose stopped, another steamer malfunctioned and its water also gave out.

From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy

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

The director, recently freed from a malfunctioning elevator in a pithily Andersonian incident, made a brief appearance onstage with Murray in his regal white suit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

An experimental treatment that resets a malfunctioning immune system has put the disease lupus into remission in early UK trials.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

Leen hunched over TimeStar’s malfunctioning time travel device, Petey at her shoulder.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles