malfunction

When gene activation goes wrong, cells can malfunction and contribute to diseases, including cancer.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

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

Not as good as yesterday, but I lost some time to the drill malfunction.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

There were 15 reported firework-related deaths nationwide in 2025, with most involving misuse and device misfire or malfunctions, according to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

Its report said Nintendo had "commented only in 2020, and not as soon as it was aware of the malfunctions", the Commerce Ministry and the court in Nanterre, outside Paris, said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

Tech companies are making progress in fixing humanoid runners’ malfunctions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 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

On one wall, flashers and safety overrides blinked to indicate that there were electric malfunctions and topside failures, probably from having the conning deck go under.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

The US military said one of its underwater drones "malfunctioned" and was not carrying any sensitive data.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 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

But as the commander of Apollo 13 famously said when his spacecraft malfunctioned on the way to the Moon: "Houston, we've had a problem..."

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 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

Devices are at most risk when they are overcharged, malfunctioning or damaged, which can cause components to break down and release excess heat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 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

In Italy, courts in Palermo, Sicily, said they were suspending all non-urgent hearings until June 29 due to "malfunctioning air conditioning" while teaching unions in France called for strike action over "unacceptable working conditions".

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

As it turned out, the water-level indicator was malfunctioning.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland