slip 1 of 3

verb

ˈslip How to pronounce slip (audio)
Definition of slipnext
1
as in to fall
to decline gradually from a standard level the store's quality of service began to slip after the new owners took over

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2
as in to stumble
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily be careful not to slip on the spilled oil

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sneak
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way casually slipped it into the conversation

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4
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner slipped behind the cover of the trees

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5
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily jumped into the car and slipped behind the wheel

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to shed
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside periodically crabs slip their shells and grow new ones

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slip

2 of 3

noun (1)

as in strip
a long narrow piece of material baskets woven from slips of wicker

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slip

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy a careless slip of the tongue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fall
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily had a nasty slip on the ice

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3
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement gave her pursuers the slip

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in trip
a wrong judgment that's not the sort of slip that a prudent person would have made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun slip differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of slip are blunder, error, lapse, and mistake. While all these words mean "a departure from what is true, right, or proper," slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

a slip of the tongue

When is it sensible to use blunder instead of slip?

The meanings of blunder and slip largely overlap; however, blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

diplomatic blunders

When is error a more appropriate choice than slip?

In some situations, the words error and slip are roughly equivalent. However, error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

procedural errors

When would lapse be a good substitute for slip?

The synonyms lapse and slip are sometimes interchangeable, but lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

a lapse in judgment

When can mistake be used instead of slip?

The words mistake and slip are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

dialed the wrong number by mistake

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slip
Verb
Days earlier, a developer had discovered that Anthropic quietly slipped code into Claude Code that tried to work out whether the person using it was in China or connected to a Chinese AI lab, reading signals like their time zone and network address. — Harry Booth, Time, 7 July 2026 Infrared light is able to slip through these dense sheets of gas and dust. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 7 July 2026
Noun
England was jubilant after taking down Mexico in their Round of 16 World Cup match on Sunday night, but a small slip-up amid a celebration after the 3-2 win may have cost them a player. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 Inside, a slip liner will keep your undergarments from showing through the fabric. — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slip
  1. fall
  2. stumble
  3. sneak
  4. lurk
  5. flow
  6. shed
  7. strip
  8. mistake
Verb
  • Some older employees who have benefited from a booming stock market may be retiring feeling comfortable with their 401(k)s, though that doesn’t explain why the participation rate for people ages 25 to 55 has fallen.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • But for some Atlanta businesses, the major soccer tournament has fallen far short of expectations.
    — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • After a chance meeting saving the life of a reporter, Dez stumbles across a vast conspiracy and now must stop the forces intent on keeping their secrets safe.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026
  • The hole was discovered in early April when a volunteer on a weekend cemetery clean-up day stumbled upon it.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Butch standing there in his plaid pajamas, sneaking sugar cubes to Rambler and Snowy.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • When grounders sneaked through the infield, his body language was uneventful.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • The key to making all of this work is really Deutch, who knows how to lace an all-American sweetness with a sense of anarchy lurking right below the surface.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026
  • After this second surgery and worm discovery, his doctors put him on anti-parasitic medication to kill off any possible remaining worms lurking in him.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Rainfall — as little as a tenth of an inch, according to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, or ALCOSAN — can cause an overflow of stormwater and raw sewage to flow into the rivers.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Through the morning, a river of mourners dressed in black flowed from the Grand Mosalla.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • The data, compiled by ICE and processed by a UC Berkeley Law School initiative, sheds light on how the agency has operated in Sacramento, where dozens of arrests have taken place downtown and through administrative transfers at prisons.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
  • Because the parasite might not shed enough to be detected in one stool sample, individuals may need to submit several samples taken on different days, the CDC said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of shed
Noun
  • The handle comes with one original Athena Club cartridge, which has a skin guard to prevent nicks and a hyaluronic acid serum strip.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026
  • The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of strip
Noun
  • Despite the full lineup and passionate patriotic crowd in Seattle, Team USA looked uncomfortable from the start, fell behind early, made sloppy mistakes and could not keep up with the Belgians, who move on to face Spain in the quarterfinals.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • The scribe carefully inscribed each line with a quill made from a goose feather, while their other hand wielded an erasing knife used to sharpen the quill and scrape away any mistakes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of mistake

Phrases Containing slip

Browse Nearby Words

slinks
slip
slip (into)
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Cite this Entry

“Slip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slip. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slip

Nglish: Translation of slip for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slip

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