lag 1 of 3

lag

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verb

lag

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lag different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lag are dally, dawdle, delay, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

When might dally be a better fit than lag?

Although the words dally and lag have much in common, dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When is delay a more appropriate choice than lag?

In some situations, the words delay and lag are roughly equivalent. However, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

How do loiter and dawdle relate to one another, in the sense of lag?

Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows
children dawdling on their way home from school

In what contexts can procrastinate take the place of lag?

While in some cases nearly identical to lag, procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

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 lag
Adjective
Samsung TVs are powered by Motion Xcelerator 144Hz, which enhances motion and reduces lag. PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2025 Less accomplished drivers experiencing one of Renault’s tiny terrors (nearly a foot shorter than the original Mazda Miata) for the first time will be delighted, but soon realize that the car’s close-ratio gearbox demands that the engine be revved, and turbo lag comes along for every ride. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
With Baja mode activated, the twin-turbo V-6 engages the turbochargers' anti-lag function, and there's negligible delay in the power delivery during the quick on/off throttle sequences common to desert running. David Beard, Car and Driver, 20 June 2022 And some more good news for lovers of the distinctive fusillade produced by the original Impreza rally cars: this one keeps anti-lag, injecting fuel into the turbocharger to keep it spinning off-throttle. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 21 June 2022
Noun
Yet this new Klan version struggled to get started, and in spite of the less-than-liberal social leanings of America in the late 1910s, membership lagged. Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025 Upkeep of the house lagged, however, except for mowing the property and repairing damage done by vandals. John Tuohy, IndyStar, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lag
Adjective
  • At the final, disastrous dinner of this episode, Larsa tries to remind everyone of this truth.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Shildt deployed only high-leverage arms over the final four innings.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Zwicky, which scans the night sky with a wide-field camera, has a reputation for enabling astronomers to discover transients, or fleeting cosmic phenomena, such as quickly flaring and fading supernovas.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
  • For people dealing with mental health issues, often those feelings don’t fade on their own.
    Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Thunderstorms delayed Thursday's opening round, softening the greens and testing the pros.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Financial Narrative Control: In one case that stood out, a retailer’s communications team, reporting to the CFO, delayed announcing a new technology partnership for a year to better align with the company's financial narrative.
    Kiri Masters, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The gradual nature of the hit to the consumer while occurring simultaneously with the slowdown in hiring made the Fed’s switch imperative.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Financing was a difficult process for the Paramount project, especially given the industry-wide slowdown in new project starts and high rates for borrowers.
    Molly Davis, The Tennessean, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.
    Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
  • The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • The reason the Feds are discussing a rate cut is to address the sagging job market, Pearce says.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Time Warner’s stock price was sagging, and Levin was looking to boost it by selling off assets or buying some new ones.
    John Malone, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • One person would hold the rod and drag ashore a thrashing, 200-pound sawfish.
    Jack Prator, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
  • In doing so, the currents drag swimmers out into open waters.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • But with the integration of AI comes hesitation and fears of job loss, privacy breaches and misinformation.
    Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
  • This cycle converts hesitation into purchase and builds loyalty, all without human intervention.
    Charisma Glassman, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lag. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

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