Problems with macOS updates or failed installations

I'm running into a weird issue with the latest macOS update where the installer keeps failing halfway through with a vague error message, and I've already tried restarting and freeing up disk space without any luck. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of failed installation, and is there a reliable workaround like a specific terminal command or a safe boot trick that actually gets the update to stick without wiping everything? Thanks for any advice!