diff --git a/src/copy.c b/src/copy.c
index 911ed81..3f2cc2b 100644
--- a/src/copy.c
+++ b/src/copy.c
@@ -1172,13 +1172,13 @@ preserve_metadata:
 close_src_and_dst_desc:
   if (close (dest_desc) < 0)
     {
-      error (0, errno, _("error closing %s"), quote (dst_name));
+      error (0, errno, _("failed to close %s"), quote (dst_name));
       return_val = false;
     }
 close_src_desc:
   if (close (source_desc) < 0)
     {
-      error (0, errno, _("error closing %s"), quote (src_name));
+      error (0, errno, _("failed to close %s"), quote (src_name));
       return_val = false;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/cp.c b/src/cp.c
index 66bba85..e235b32 100644
--- a/src/cp.c
+++ b/src/cp.c
@@ -1066,7 +1066,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
             {
               struct stat st;
               if (stat (optarg, &st) != 0)
-                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"), quote (optarg));
+                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"),
+                       quote (optarg));
               if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode))
                 error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("target %s is not a directory"),
                        quote (optarg));
diff --git a/src/dd.c b/src/dd.c
index 601b0e7..c98e578 100644
--- a/src/dd.c
+++ b/src/dd.c
@@ -2233,7 +2233,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
            || fd_reopen (STDOUT_FILENO, output_file, O_RDWR | opts, perms) < 0)
           && (fd_reopen (STDOUT_FILENO, output_file, O_WRONLY | opts, perms)
               < 0))
-        error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to open %s"), quote (output_file));
+        error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to open %s"),
+               quote (output_file));
 
       if (seek_records != 0 && !(conversions_mask & C_NOTRUNC))
         {
diff --git a/src/head.c b/src/head.c
index 60b53f2..d79d5f7 100644
--- a/src/head.c
+++ b/src/head.c
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ head_file (const char *filename, uintmax_t n_units, bool count_lines,
   ok = head (filename, fd, n_units, count_lines, elide_from_end);
   if (!is_stdin && close (fd) != 0)
     {
-      error (0, errno, _("error closing %s"), quote (filename));
+      error (0, errno, _("failed to close %s"), quote (filename));
       return false;
     }
   return ok;
diff --git a/src/install.c b/src/install.c
index e4c5c65..94374df 100644
--- a/src/install.c
+++ b/src/install.c
@@ -841,7 +841,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
             {
               struct stat st;
               if (stat (optarg, &st) != 0)
-                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"), quote (optarg));
+                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"),
+                       quote (optarg));
               if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode))
                 error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("target %s is not a directory"),
                        quote (optarg));
diff --git a/src/ln.c b/src/ln.c
index 5141388..1aa1473 100644
--- a/src/ln.c
+++ b/src/ln.c
@@ -512,7 +512,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
             {
               struct stat st;
               if (stat (optarg, &st) != 0)
-                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"), quote (optarg));
+                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"),
+                       quote (optarg));
               if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode))
                 error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("target %s is not a directory"),
                        quote (optarg));
diff --git a/src/mv.c b/src/mv.c
index 230502e..1cfcd82 100644
--- a/src/mv.c
+++ b/src/mv.c
@@ -397,7 +397,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
             {
               struct stat st;
               if (stat (optarg, &st) != 0)
-                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"), quote (optarg));
+                error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("failed to access %s"),
+                       quote (optarg));
               if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode))
                 error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("target %s is not a directory"),
                        quote (optarg));
diff --git a/src/touch.c b/src/touch.c
index 9c99c30..3a3ffbe 100644
--- a/src/touch.c
+++ b/src/touch.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ touch (const char *file)
     {
       if (close (STDIN_FILENO) != 0)
         {
-          error (0, errno, _("error closing %s"), quote (file));
+          error (0, errno, _("failed to close %s"), quote (file));
           return false;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/truncate.c b/src/truncate.c
index 2278a7a..8349cb6 100644
--- a/src/truncate.c
+++ b/src/truncate.c
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
           errors |= !do_ftruncate (fd, fname, size, rsize, rel_mode);
           if (close (fd) != 0)
             {
-              error (0, errno, _("error closing %s"), quote (fname));
+              error (0, errno, _("failed to close %s"), quote (fname));
               errors = true;
             }
         }