lapse into

phrasal verb

lapsed into; lapsing into; lapses into
1
: to begin using or doing (something that should be avoided) for a short period of time
He's a good writer, but he occasionally lapses into jargon.
2
: to begin to be in (a worse or less active state or condition)
The crowd lapsed into silence.
The patient lapsed into a coma.
The society lapsed into decline.

Examples of lapse into in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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When Tweedy’s lyrics lapse into obscurity, the healing power of group vocal harmonies is always there to carry him through. Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025 This visibility transforms personal lapses into organizational crises. Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Any claim for Swift’s genius should reckon with her lapses into imprecision and pompousness. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025 Oh no, now even the social media guys are lapsing into coachspeak. Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lapse into

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Cite this Entry

“Lapse into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapse%20into. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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