fail to start

USAGE SUMMARY

"fail to start" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe the act of not initiating or beginning something. For example: "The project failed to start due to funding constraints."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

If kadmind fails to bind to any of the specified addresses, it will fail to start.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In some cases, having the car fail to start may actually be preferable to the alternative.

The New York Times

The vehicles may exhibit long crank times or fail to start.

The New York Times

Only then — if the owners fail to start the necessary improvements for four months — can a lawsuit be brought.

Harvard University

If the KDC daemon fails to bind to any of the specified addresses, it will fail to start.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

It may be a long road, but organisations that fail to start on this journey will quickly get left behind as the forces rumble on.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

The vole failed to start….

The New Yorker

For the next 15 years they tried and failed to start a family.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Their car fails to start as they're fleeing the premises.

The Guardian - Film

Mario Cipollini and Alessandro Petacchi, both Italians, failed to start because of injuries.

The New York Times - Sports

Then there were the players who failed to start against Barcelona.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fail to start" when you want to clearly indicate that something did not begin or initiate as expected.

Common error

While generally acceptable, consider more sophisticated synonyms like "not commence" or "be unable to initiate" in highly formal writing to avoid sounding repetitive.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fail to start" functions as a verb phrase indicating the inability or lack of commencement of an action or process. Ludwig AI indicates its common usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Academia

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fail to start" is a commonly used and grammatically correct verb phrase that indicates the inability to begin or initiate something. Ludwig AI confirms its wide applicability across different writing styles. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media, academic, and scientific contexts, suggesting a neutral register. While there are alternatives, such as "not begin" or "be unable to initiate", "fail to start" provides a clear and direct way to communicate that something did not commence as expected.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not begin

Emphasizes the lack of initiation; more general.

not commence

More formal and emphasizes the starting action.

prove unable to start

Emphasizes the demonstration of inability.

be unable to initiate

Highlights the inability to begin, focusing on capacity.

fall short of starting

Indicates a failure to achieve the starting point.

be inoperative

Focuses on the state of not working from the beginning.

abort at the starting line

Suggests a failure right at the initial moment.

cease operation before beginning

Highlights the cessation before any operation.

never get off the ground

Idiomatic, emphasizing a project or idea not succeeding.

be stillborn

Figurative, suggests something never had a chance.

FAQs

What does "fail to start" mean?

The phrase "fail to start" means that something was unable to begin, commence, or initiate an action or process.

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

You can use "fail to start" in sentences like: "The car "failed to start" this morning" or "The project "failed to start" due to lack of funding."

What are some alternatives to "fail to start"?

Some alternatives include "not begin", "not commence", or "be unable to initiate", depending on the context.

Is it better to use "failed to start" or "fails to start"?

"Failed to start" is past tense, used when something did not start at a specific time. "Fails to start" is present tense, used when something generally does not start or is not starting now.