failed once before

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "failed once before" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a previous instance of failure in a context where you are discussing attempts or experiences. Example: "Despite having failed once before, she was determined to try again and succeed this time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Downton says that in the five years Moores has been working at Lancashire, he has accumulated "a great deal more experience and understanding of the challenges that the role presents", and it is true that the fact he has tried, and failed, once before will give him a rare opportunity to put right what he got wrong.

The Guardian - Sport

Genetically modified potatoes failed once before.

The New York Times

"The experiment of Iraqi statehood failed once before.

The New York Times

A second is that such an alliance has failed once before.

The Economist

lawyers discovered, because immigration officials had failed once before to recognize his citizenship, mistakenly deporting him to Mexico in 1996.

The New York Times

Requiring twice as many safety mechanisms that failed once before doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

"We look for people who have had experience, ideally someone who has failed once or twice before and who actually knows what building a startup is like," says Squibb.

TechCrunch

I'd already failed once, a week before, having fled Venice when I mistakenly booked a hotel in a distant suburb, Lido di Jesolo.

The New York Times

Failed once again.

The New York Times

And he has failed once.

Harvard Business Review

It has already failed once, in Germany.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "failed once before", clearly indicate what the subject failed at and the context of the failure. This provides clarity and prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "failed once before" without specifying what was failed at. The phrase becomes vague if the subject of the failure is unclear to the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "failed once before" functions as a past tense descriptor, indicating a prior unsuccessful attempt or experience. Ludwig shows the expression's usage in describing past events and situations where failure occurred.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "failed once before" is a grammatically correct expression used to describe a situation where someone or something has experienced a single prior failure. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in English writing. While relatively uncommon, its clear and direct meaning makes it suitable for various contexts, primarily in news, science, and formal business settings. When using the phrase, it's important to provide clear context about the failure to avoid vagueness. Alternatives like "previously unsuccessful" or "failed on a prior occasion" can be used for a more formal tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had a prior failure

More concise and direct way of stating the previous failure.

attempted unsuccessfully before

Emphasizes the attempt and its failure, placing 'unsuccessfully' closer to 'attempted'.

failed on a prior occasion

More formal and uses 'occasion' to denote the instance.

previously unsuccessful

Focuses on the lack of success without specifying the number of attempts.

experienced failure previously

Highlights the experience of failure rather than a specific instance.

had failed in the past

Generalizes the failure to a non-specific time in the past.

previously met with failure

More formal and emphasizes the encounter with failure.

once failed before succeeding

This option highlights the ultimate success, contrasting it with the initial failure.

initially unsuccessful

Focuses on the initial lack of success, implying subsequent attempts may have been successful.

suffered a previous setback

Substitutes 'failure' with 'setback', softening the negative connotation.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "failed once before" to sound more formal?

Consider using alternatives like "previously unsuccessful", "failed on a prior occasion", or "experienced failure previously" for a more formal tone.

Is it grammatically correct to say "failed once before"?

Yes, "failed once before" is grammatically correct and commonly used to indicate a previous instance of failure, as supported by examples from Ludwig.

What's the difference between "failed once before" and "failed previously"?

While both phrases indicate a past failure, "failed once before" explicitly states that the failure occurred a single time, whereas "failed previously" doesn't specify the number of failures.

What are some situations where using "failed once before" is appropriate?

This phrase is suitable when discussing attempts at tasks, projects, or endeavors where a previous failure occurred, and you want to highlight that it was a singular event before subsequent attempts or successes.