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
Most Third World states, for example, that were born as democracies lapsed into dictatorships or became autocratic shortly after independence.
—
Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
Edmonton was dominating as the game lapsed into the 20-minute sudden-death overtime, then finished late in OT when Draisaitl’s shot sent arena decibels through the roof.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
Blood pressure plummets and the patient lapses into cardiac arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat.
—Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
Even when some of Austin’s buddies lapse into therapyspeak, their group is not pitched as a place for enlightenment, or even emotional support as such.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lapse into
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.
Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
Edmonton was dominating as the game lapsed into the 20-minute sudden-death overtime, then finished late in OT when Draisaitl’s shot sent arena decibels through the roof.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
Blood pressure plummets and the patient lapses into cardiac arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat.
—Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
Even when some of Austin’s buddies lapse into therapyspeak, their group is not pitched as a place for enlightenment, or even emotional support as such.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lapse into
Cite this Entry
“Lapse into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapse%20into. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share