miscarry
Americanverb (used without object)
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to have a miscarriage of a fetus.
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to fail to attain the right or desired end; be unsuccessful.
The plan miscarried.
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to go astray or be lost in transit, as a letter.
verb
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to expel a fetus prematurely from the womb; abort
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to fail
all her plans miscarried
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(of freight, mail, etc) to fail to reach a destination
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has miscarriedperfect 3rd person singular
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have miscarriedperfect
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is miscarryingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been miscarryingperfect progressive
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are miscarryingprogressive
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miscarriessingular 3rd person
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am miscarryingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been miscarryingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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miscarryingparticiple
Past
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had miscarriedperfect
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was miscarryingprogressive singular
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were miscarryingprogressive plural
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miscarriedparticiple
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had been miscarryingperfect progressive
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miscarriedsimple
Future
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.
Rodriguez went on to miscarry while in custody, according to a lawsuit she filed against the federal government.
From Salon • Oct. 22, 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
NHS England has said any of its staff who miscarry in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy can take 10 days' paid leave.
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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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.