managed to fail

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "managed to fail" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone or something has attempted to succeed but ultimately did not, often implying a level of effort or intention behind the failure. Example: "Despite all the planning and resources allocated, the project managed to fail due to unforeseen circumstances."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Then, thankfully, I managed to fail miserably.

The Economist

Not content with disappointing at one club, he managed to fail spectacularly at Wakefield too after leaving Salford mid-season.

The Guardian - Sport

"There must also be answers to the serious questions about how the police managed to fail so badly in their original investigation".

Independent

Referee Shayne Hayne once again managed to fail on the game's biggest stage with another terrible refereeing performance that blighted one of the great grand finals.

The Guardian - Sport

I can't understand it about myself, how I managed to fail to notice certain blindingly obvious facts, like that someone's paid 50 quid to go to the theatre".

The Guardian - Film

Although there was a winner on the Eastleigh platform in the small hours of Friday, the numbers suggests a byelection in which all of Britain's mistrusted parties managed to fail.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Mayumi?" Jun Do only manages to fail upwards – in this respect, North Korea is no different from anywhere else.

The Guardian - Books

In my experience, though, nonblack writers who are otherwise masters of the novel or short-story form manage to fail miserably at depicting blacks.

The New Yorker

That's because it has an almost cosmetic drug-testing program, which players like Denver's Von Miller still reportedly manage to fail, but not because the league is actually trying very hard.

The New York Times - Sports

Rather, again and again, we see companies with tens of millions in funding, run by the brightest, most driven young minds in the world, and they still manage to fail, usually due to elements outside of their control.

TechCrunch

("Let us never fail to walk a mile in another man's shoes, but let us never walk in shoes that manage to fail").

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "managed to fail" to express a surprising or ironic failure, especially when effort or intention was present.

Common error

Avoid using "managed to fail" in overly formal or academic writing; opt for more neutral alternatives like "proved unsuccessful" or "did not succeed" in those settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "managed to fail" functions as a commentary on an outcome, highlighting the unexpected or ironic nature of a failure. As Ludwig indicates, it suggests that despite efforts or expectations, failure still occurred.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "managed to fail" serves as a commentary on an outcome, often highlighting the irony or unexpected nature of the failure. As Ludwig AI explains, it implies that failure occurred despite some level of effort or intention. While grammatically correct and usable, as Ludwig confirms, it's more common in neutral to informal contexts like news and opinion pieces, but should be avoided in academic writing. Consider alternatives like "succeeded in failing" or "failed miserably" depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. Ultimately, understanding the context is crucial for effectively using "managed to fail".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

succeeded in failing

Emphasizes the achievement of failure, highlighting the irony.

contrived to fail

Suggests that the failure was somehow orchestrated or brought about.

managed to botch

Focuses on a task being poorly executed, resulting in failure.

failed spectacularly

Highlights the magnitude or impressiveness of the failure.

failed miserably

Emphasizes the thoroughness and completeness of the failure.

accomplished failure

Highlights that failure has been achieved.

managed to fall short

Focuses on the inability to reach a goal or expectation.

managed to blunder

Emphasizes the clumsy nature of the failure.

fell flat on its face

Emphasizes complete and utter failure, often publicly.

proved unsuccessful

A more formal way of stating that something did not succeed.

FAQs

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

You can use "managed to fail" to describe a situation where something failed despite apparent efforts or expectations. For example: "Despite all the planning, the project "managed to fail"."

What's a less informal way to say "managed to fail"?

For more formal contexts, consider alternatives like "proved unsuccessful" or "did not succeed" which maintain a professional tone.

Is it correct to say "succeeded in failing" instead of "managed to fail"?

"Succeeded in failing" is a valid alternative. It emphasizes the accomplishment of failure, while "managed to fail" highlights the unexpected nature of the failure. Both expressions carry similar ironic undertones.

How does "failed spectacularly" compare to "managed to fail"?

"Failed spectacularly" focuses on the dramatic or impressive nature of the failure, while "managed to fail" underscores that the failure occurred despite effort or planning. Thus, "failed spectacularly" gives an idea of the level of failure more than just the plain act of not being successfull.