lag 1 of 3

lag

2 of 3

verb

lag

3 of 3

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
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
Verb
The Unfinished Business of Emancipation Emancipation symbolized moral justice, but economic justice lagged. Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 French stocks now lag far behind those in Spain, with the IBEX up 22% over the same period. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
Noun
The ban takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., a lag that may help avoid the worst of the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017. Arkansas Online, 9 June 2025 Professional gamers tend to appreciate the lack of tactility in linear switches, as any physical impedance increases input lag between the action (pressing a key) and the reaction (your character moving, for example). Francisco Lahoz, PC Magazine, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lag
Adjective
  • The final tally fell at five, which meant almost half the class would be out sick.
    David Mack, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
  • The project saw its construction costs triple from an initial request for proposals estimate of $54 million in 2021 to its final budget of $152 million, which was presented to the University of California Board of Regents for approval in 2022.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Once the uncertainty begins to fade, capital returns more quickly than most anticipate.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • The red measurement markings also have a tendency to fade over time, especially with frequent dishwasher use.
    Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • President Trump delayed his decision on whether attack Iran for two weeks following a Thursday sighting of Steve Bannon at the White House.
    Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
  • These actions did not fully block the strait but caused sharp increases in shipping insurance premiums and delayed maritime traffic.
    Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has run Japan with just two brief gaps since 1955, is very skilled at pinning economic slowdowns on the BOJ.
    William Pesek, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • The slowdown in Sin City is in line with what’s going on elsewhere, Hill said.
    Matt Villano, CNN Money, 25 June 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 different firmness levels ensure that the mattress will never sag, regardless of the sleeper’s body type.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 13 June 2025
  • Revising the menu and starting to bake some pastries fresh in store is all a part of the CEO’s plan to expand into the wellness sector and reverse sagging sales.
    Morgan Severson, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • But by the late 1970s, as negotiations over a treaty dragged on, Congress grew receptive to industry lobbyists seeking legislation that would protect their investments in mining sites beyond U.S. maritime jurisdiction.
    Time, Time, 17 June 2025
  • What were the final few days like? Exhausting and dragging on.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Their only hesitation were their concerns for his future.
    Angela Andaloro, People.com, 26 June 2025
  • These travelers pausing their U.S. visits aren't swearing off the U.S. forever, but their hesitation shows the country's current political actions aren't going unnoticed.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lag. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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