fail to delete

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fail to delete" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating that someone did not successfully remove or erase something, such as a file or message. Example: "If you fail to delete the temporary files, your computer may run slowly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Thus, in this scenario, the cells that have complete deletion will die before becoming monocytes or macrophages, whereas others that fail to delete caspase-8 live and are not selected.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

But 2011 intermediary guidelines under the same Act introduced a different process, making companies liable to criminal penalties if they fail to delete or take down content which any individual flags as "offensive".

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Failing to delete personal information of children at the request of parents.

Harvard University

He supported a move in Germany which could see social media companies face fines of up to €50m (£44m) if they failed to delete offending material within a week.

The Guardian - Tech

Colonel Lehner said that one of the reports Dr. Postol had sent to the White House apparently contained three or four charts of secret data that declassification officers had failed to delete.

The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook is suspending the Trump-affiliated data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, after learning that it failed to delete data that it had taken inappropriately from users of the social network, Facebook said late Friday.

The Washington Post

State media have called for the punishment of those responsible for having failed to delete them earlier.Some of the chaos is caused by websites that masquerade as government ones in order to steal personal information, promote property scams or even distribute pornography.

The Economist

But the scammer wasn't so successful and failed to delete the data.

TechCrunch

Google later said the action had been "inadvertent", but it was not helped by the fact that it subsequently failed to delete the data gathered as promised.

BBC

They said the problem was that it then transmitted all the contained phone numbers to its servers, and failed to delete those belonging to people who had not signed up to the service.

BBC

After she failed to delete the reviews, the firm sued her for defamation.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fail to delete", ensure the context clearly indicates what should have been deleted and why it's important that the deletion didn't occur.

Common error

Avoid using "fail to delete" when the responsibility for deletion wasn't clearly assigned. Ensure it's evident who was supposed to delete what and why their failure had consequences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fail to delete" functions as a verb phrase, typically part of a larger clause expressing an inability or omission to remove something. Ludwig confirms this is a usable phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fail to delete" is a grammatically correct verb phrase that expresses the lack of removal of something. As Ludwig suggests, this phrase is common in both scientific and news contexts, making it useful across various writing styles. While the phrase itself is straightforward, it's important to ensure clarity regarding the responsible party and the implications of their failure. Alternatives like "omit deletion" and "neglect to erase" can provide nuanced variations depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not delete

A more direct and simple way of saying something was not deleted.

not erase

Directly states that something was not erased.

leave undeleted

Focuses on the state of being not deleted.

omit deletion

Focuses on the act of leaving out the deletion process.

be unable to remove

Emphasizes the inability to remove something.

neglect to erase

Emphasizes carelessness or oversight in not erasing something.

forget to remove

Highlights the act of forgetting as the reason for not removing something.

decline to eliminate

Suggests a deliberate choice not to eliminate something.

refuse to discard

Implies a refusal to get rid of something.

not get around to deleting

Indicates a lack of time or intention to delete something.

FAQs

What does "fail to delete" mean?

The phrase "fail to delete" means to not remove or erase something that was supposed to be removed. It indicates an omission or inability to perform the deletion.

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

You can use "fail to delete" to describe a situation where something was not properly removed, such as, "The system will flag temporary data that programs "fail to delete" after use."

What are some alternatives to "fail to delete"?

Alternatives include phrases like "omit deletion", "neglect to erase", or "forget to remove", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "fail to delete" or "failed to delete"?

The choice between "fail to delete" and "failed to delete" depends on the tense required by your sentence. "Fail to delete" is present tense, while "failed to delete" is past tense. For example, "If you "fail to delete" the file, the program will crash" versus "The program crashed because it "failed to delete" the temporary files."