Verb
in those coin-operated binoculars at scenic areas your viewing time seems to elapse almost before it has begun
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Verb
Less than four minutes had elapsed in the first game of Friday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie had already seen enough.—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 24 Jan. 2026 This cycle elapses across thousands of years—glacially slow to us but almost instantaneous on cosmic scales.—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
Twenty years—and not just any twenty, but 1945-1965—elapse in a speedy 23 pages!—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 However, John Ruddy, the 38-year-old reserve goalkeeper, is set to sign an extension for 2025-26, having also seen his previous contract elapse.—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for elapse
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Latin elapsus, past participle of elabi, from e- + labi to slip — more at sleep