malfunction
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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The trouble isn’t that every digital convenience is destined to malfunction.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
A cardiac arrest happens when an electrical malfunction stops the heart from beating and circulating blood to the brain and vital organs - often causing permanent brain damage within minutes and sudden death.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
When gene activation goes wrong, cells can malfunction and contribute to diseases, including cancer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Those and other personal devices have lithium-ion batteries, which are prone to bursting into flames when they malfunction or overheat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
So there they are, three classic preconditions of a plane crash, the same three that set the stage for Avianca 052: a minor technical malfunction; bad weather; and a tired pilot.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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Extremely structured to this day, if something throws off Freeman’s schedule, his “robot mind,” as he puts it, malfunctions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
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
Plane crashes are much more likely to be the result of an accumulation of minor difficulties and seemingly trivial malfunctions.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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The truck's air conditioning malfunctioned, and the temperature inside soared as it drove north to San Antonio, Texas.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
An air valve had malfunctioned, according to the complaint, but Kettle refused to approve a fix afterwards because it would have led to train delays at Union Station.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The transmission malfunctioned in his 1978 boat, Miss Julie, which he also uses for crabbing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 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
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
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The achievement could eventually help researchers develop new approaches to treating diseases caused by malfunctioning mitochondria.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The story, as it were, centers on a woman named Lisa Blupey, portrayed by stage veteran Jessica Vosk, who runs a small business selling socks but is drowning in financial statements and malfunctioning A.I.-powered platforms.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
It started appearing in my parents’ pantry in Costco two-packs, usually beside gigantic cases of bottled water, enough paper towels to absorb a malfunctioning sprinkler system and gallon-sized jugs of olive oil.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
You end up with a faulty port, malfunctioning screen or a bad battery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
I progressed well for the first few days, until my kidneys started malfunctioning.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
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Vocabulary lists containing malfunction
"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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