slip 1 of 3

Definition of slipnext
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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

slip

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noun (1)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

slip

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noun (2)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
Just slip a pillowcase over each blade, and then slide the fabric to the end of the blade. Michelle Ullman, The Spruce, 10 Feb. 2026 The launch of a mission to send the next group of astronauts to the International Space Station has slipped another two days as poor weather in Florida continues to be a factor. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
In that framing, time and leave data become inputs to broader analytics on productivity, labor cost, and compliance risk, rather than just a basis for issuing pay slips. Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 Back then, his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, let a 28-3 lead slip to Tom Brady and the Patriots in the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slip
Verb
  • Council members had long pledged to quell gang violence and improve life for Haiti but fell overwhelmingly short.
    EVENS SANON, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Short video and artificial intelligence video generation company Kuaishou fell by 11% during the same time period.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hockey players, however, are team sport Winter Olympians who play professionally in leagues looking to capitalize on the millions of global viewers that might stumble onto the sport over the next two weeks.
    Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Dumb luck certainly did favor the bold that night, as Dallas stumbled into Cooper Flagg despite having been a Play-In Tournament team.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Nasir Khan, a scrawny Pakistani American college student living with his parents in Queens, sneaks out and drives his dad’s taxi to a party in Manhattan.
    Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Bhansali has to scan all of his diamonds — millions per year — to make sure no lab-growns have been snuck in the mix.
    Chris Livesay, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But hey, this was the '90s, when being weird for weird's sake was a thing, and a creepy animatronic penguin lurking in the shadows and terrorizing humans in a variety of '90s-ish noir settings is definitely that.
    Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Expecting to find traces of the past in the old town of Regensburg, at first, archaeologists believed nothing that exciting lurked here.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Decline, and the money flows to other states, taking tens of millions in tutoring and academic support with it.
    Shlomo Soroka, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
  • These equations represent phenomena that vary across space but not time, such as the pressure of water flowing through rock, the distribution of stress on a bridge, or the diffusion of nutrients in a tumor.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Since taking over as Hongkong Land’s chief executive, Smith has embarked on a pivot to double down on commercial properties and fund management, while shedding its less lucrative residential businesses.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • This deal is another sign the Mavs are moving on from the Luka trade, shedding payroll, and tanking the rest of the season to land a high pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Body oils can help tighten the look of mildly sagging or crepey skin by improving hydration and overall skin health.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Keep your core muscles tight, and make sure your hips don't sag.
    Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Rory Guilday spent two minutes in the penalty box due to a tripping penalty.
    Isabel Yip, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Gueye appeared to trip Reid, who got up and immediately got in the face of Gueye, setting off a scuffle.
    CBS News, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slip. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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