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Synonyms

miscarry

American  
[mis-kar-ee, mis-kar-ee] / mɪsˈkær i, ˈmɪsˌkær i /

verb (used without object)

miscarried, miscarrying
  1. to have a miscarriage of a fetus.

  2. to fail to attain the right or desired end; be unsuccessful.

    The plan miscarried.

  3. to go astray or be lost in transit, as a letter.


miscarry British  
/ mɪsˈkærɪ /

verb

  1. to expel a fetus prematurely from the womb; abort

  2. to fail

    all her plans miscarried

  3. (of freight, mail, etc) to fail to reach a destination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of miscarry

First recorded in 1275–1325, miscarry is from the Middle English word miscarien. See mis- 1, carry

Vocabulary lists containing miscarry

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.

Known as Oropouche virus, it can trigger a fever that may cause pregnant people to miscarry or their babies to have birth defects known as microcephaly, or smaller than usual heads.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2025

Up to one in four women who know they are pregnant will miscarry, according to the National Library of Medicine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2024

UK workers who miscarry before 24 weeks have no legal right to maternity or parental-bereavement leave - although, a number of large companies, including Tesco, Lidl, John Lewis and Santander, offer it.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2024

“A lot of people successfully miscarry on their own, but that can take a couple months,” Loren said in an interview.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2024

Mom told me those types of pregnancies frequently miscarry early on, but not always.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

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