fail to associate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fail to associate" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a lack of connection or relationship between two or more entities, ideas, or concepts. Example: "In this study, we found that participants often fail to associate the symptoms of anxiety with their underlying causes."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Even the most naïve viewer could not fail to associate the Crusaders with the Israelis and Americans or Sa'war — the corrupt Egyptian leader — with President Hosni Mubarak.

The New York Times

WHAT YOU'LL FIND Many people fail to associate housing with the Hub because of its reputation as a crossroads of commerce: Third Avenue has even been called the Broadway of the Bronx.

The New York Times

In its absence, the J558 VH genes fail to associate with the proximal VH genes, thereby providing a plausible explanation for reduced VHJ558 gene rearrangements in Pax5-deficient pro-B cells.

Cell Reports

We naturally "connect the dots" to find answers and make decisions, while current AI implementations often fail to associate problems with something essential and very hard to formalize: the context that surrounds them.

TechCrunch

Taken together, these results suggest that in the absence of B5, ICP4 transcripts fail to associate with ribosomal subunits, resulting in a block in translation.

Plosone

Sun1η however, due to absence of N-terminal sequences required for efficient INM retention [12] could fail to associate with nuclear interaction partners and, as a consequence, relocates to the non-nuclear acrosomal membrane system.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

In a separate experiment, the group found that knockout mice missing an enzyme that normally degrades the PNN performed badly on a basic fear-association task: The animals failed to associate a shock with a beep.

Science Magazine

U fails to associate environmental change with natural selection.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

However, locals often failed to associate the fact that, apart from the water looking dirty or clean, livestock wastes often increase the chances of nitrate pollution.

Applied Water Science

Finally, in Experiment 3, snails failed to associate an odour with the presentation of food in the presence of other odours that already reliably predicted its presentation.

Behavioural Processes

It is unclear why this contrasts with a previous quantitative trait loci study in A. thaliana that failed to associate NPQ with presence or PsbS (Jung and Niyogi 2009).

Rice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fail to associate", ensure that the context clearly indicates what two or more entities, ideas, or concepts are not being connected. For clarity, specify both elements involved in the lack of association.

Common error

Avoid using "fail to associate" without explicitly stating what is not being associated with what. Unclear usage can confuse the reader about the relationship you are trying to negate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fail to associate" functions as a verb phrase indicating a lack of connection or relationship between two or more entities, ideas, or concepts. As Ludwig suggests, it's usable and correct. The examples show this phrase used to describe situations where a link or correlation is absent.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

68%

News & Media

27%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fail to associate" is a grammatically sound and relatively common expression used to denote a lack of connection or relationship between elements. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is appropriate for use in various contexts, particularly in scientific and news-related reporting. It's important to clearly specify the entities that are not being associated to avoid ambiguity. Semantically similar alternatives include "neglect to connect" and "do not relate", each carrying nuances in meaning. Common errors include vague associations, so clarity is key. "Fail to associate" serves to highlight the absence of an expected link, making it valuable for expressing disconnections in research and analysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

neglect to connect

Emphasizes oversight in establishing a connection.

do not link

Highlights the absence of a direct relationship.

do not relate

Highlights the absence of a connection.

struggle to relate

Indicates difficulty in finding a connection.

cannot connect

Focuses on an inability to establish a link.

do not see a connection

Highlights a lack of perceived connection.

are unable to connect

Formally states an inability to connect.

do not correlate

Indicates a lack of statistical relationship.

do not identify an association

Emphasizes the lack of recognition of an association.

cannot reconcile

Emphasizes irreconcilability between two things.

FAQs

How can I use "fail to associate" in a sentence?

You can use "fail to associate" to describe a lack of connection between two or more things. For instance, "Participants often fail to associate the symptoms of anxiety with their underlying causes."

What are some alternatives to "fail to associate"?

Alternatives include phrases like "neglect to connect", "do not relate", or "struggle to relate", depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "fail to associate" or "fail to relate"?

Both "fail to associate" and "fail to relate" are grammatically correct, but their appropriateness depends on the context. "Fail to associate" is suitable when discussing a lack of connection or correlation, while "fail to relate" is better when discussing a lack of understanding or empathy.

What does it mean when something "fails to associate" in a scientific context?

In science, when something "fails to associate", it means there is no statistically significant relationship or interaction observed between the entities being studied. This could refer to genes, proteins, behaviors, or any other variables under investigation.