fail

How to sign: stop operating or functioning
"The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident";

Similiar / Same: go bad, conk out, give way, die, give out, break down, break, go

Categories: change

Within this category: blow out, crash, malfunction, misfire

fail

How to sign: fail to get a passing grade
"She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?";

Similiar / Same: flunk, flush it, bomb

fail

How to sign: be unsuccessful
"Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably";

Similiar / Same: go wrong, miscarry

Within this category: botch, fall, fall through, miss, overreach, shipwreck, strike out, take it on the chin

fail

How to sign: fail to do something; leave something undone
"She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib"; "The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account";

Similiar / Same: neglect

Within this category: choke, default, miss, muff, strike out