fail
verb (used without object)
to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved.
fails
-
present tense formof fail (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
And yet, the film fails to utilize either to its advantage, wasting great talent and a halfway-decent premise on mind-numbing dialogue, repetitive plotting and dour lighting.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
When you lend money for 30 years, the danger isn’t that the government fails to pay you back.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Every time he fails, he just picks himself up and tries again,” Green says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
In written arguments, they said an additional three years "utterly fails to reflect the gravity of the offending or vindicate the dignity of each of the four victims".
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
And if this experiment of ours fails, we have also embedded a way to escape it.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
