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
Starting with the former, firms can rapidly access deep expertise without the lag of recruiting. Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025 Assemblymember Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, gave us Assembly Bill 424, which aims to address the crazy lag on complaints. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Faster speeds mean less lag and smoother use for multiple devices. Kara McGinley, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025 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
Every year, the BLS seeks to provide a near-complete employment count by squaring past jobs data from business surveys (more timely but not as accurate) with comprehensive unemployment insurance quarterly tax filings (highly accurate but significantly lagged in timing). Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 Every year, one of Apple’s models tends to lag its siblings in terms of sales, according to analysts. Kif Leswing, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lag
Adjective
  • While the final details were still being negotiated, the embassy said the partnership will focus on key technologies, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, telecommunications, and quantum computing.
    Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Season 4 lands on October 30th and will be followed by a fifth and final season.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After a pause, the composition takes on a searching quality, as the melody travels from one instrument to the next, including a compelling viola solo performed by principal viola Maiya Papach, eventually fading out to nothing, leaving the audience suspended in uneasy quiet.
    Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The long-standing expectation was that these resonance signals would fade and become negligible as the momentum transfer increased.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • More than 300 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport on Saturday due to a ground delay caused by thunderstorms in the area.
    Marco Cummings, Denver Post, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Previously, researchers faced strict regulations that could delay their work.
    Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Investors flocked to bonds because of signs of a slowdown in the labor market.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The metal's price surge this year underscores its role in portfolio diversification, particularly as equity markets face risks from economic slowdowns.
    Michael Khouw, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • Cracker Barrel was looking to draw new customers, especially younger ones, after years of sagging sales.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Policymakers are widely expected to lower their benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point next week to prop up the sagging job market.
    Scott Horsley, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This is not about dragging NATO into war.
    David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • After being struck from behind, he was dragged to the ground and mauled him, with other lions joined in, per Khaosod English.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And if a player is Premier League-proven, there is also less hesitation to pay big sums of money to other domestic clubs.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Now ready for pre-sale, the Sync Oven and Sync Air Fryer exemplify an idea beyond a kitchen tool, one that replaces hesitation with clarity and guesswork with certainty.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lag. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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