Is this your crossword clue?
"weakness" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often failing (7 letters).
Definitions
A lack of strength, power, or ability.
Word origin
From Middle English wayknesse, weykenesse, replacing earlier Middle English wocnesse, wakenes, wacnesse (“weakness”), from Old English wācnes (“weakness”). Equivalent to weak + -ness.
Used in a sentence
“Near-synonyms: debility, frailty, vulnerability; vincibility”
“In a small number of horses, muscle weakness may progress to paralysis.”
“His inability to speak in front of an audience was his weakness.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Lack of strength”8 letters
Not quite right?
"Search similar patterns."
W_______