The phrase "a sort of fail" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or outcome that is somewhat of a failure, but not entirely or in a specific way.
Example: "The project was a sort of fail, as we didn't meet our deadlines, but we did learn valuable lessons."
Alternatives: "kind of a failure" or "somewhat of a failure."
Because of the random wiring, it had a sort of fail-safe characteristic.
The researchers hope to generate new and better tools from these specialized Cas enzymes, develop anti-CRISPR proteins as a kill switch to halt gene editing – a sort of fail-safe mechanism – and explore new ways of delivering fully functional CRISPR-Cas complexes into live cells.
This museum piece – a sort of diorama of failed utopianism – has nothing to teach us.
Just like Roxxxy, Chi Chi has a certain charm about her, even though her outfits never really slay, she's never a great actress, and sort of fails at the challenges.
The United States men's soccer team tried to help Canada remember it has a soccer team, too, but even sort of failed at that in a spirit-deadening 0-0 tie.
A man from Idaho Falls, Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, was arraigned on charges that he did knowingly "Attempt to Assassinate the President of the United States in violation of Title 18 U.S.C., Section 1751(c)" — there's a law against that specific sort of failed murder, and the maximum penalty is life in prison.
His 65 today was even better than yesterday's, blemish-free as it was on a day when everyone else clung onto his coattails for dear life, and sort of failed as they bumped their way around Pinehurst No2.
"We're inclined to think that this sort of failed flight reflects on the fact that more deportations are being carried out in haste and are perhaps not as well-planned as they might have been previously," she added.
He says he thought he would join the "three-comma club". But despite winning lots of awards, that second company sort of failed.
You know, the FINRA that's the Wall Street self-regulatory organization that sort of failed to catch and prevent the entire Lehman meltdown, along with Madoff and some other high profile cases.
There is also the lamb's head, which sort of fails to solve the problem of extreme gaminess inherent to the preparation.
