as in slow
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the lagging pace of work on the project was worrisome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lagging
Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Metrics That Predict, Not Report The lagging nature of HR’s metrics compounds the problem.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Arpon Basu, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, an index of regional bank stocks has been lagging behind the broader market in recent years, suggesting that obvious headwinds for the sector, including weak commercial real estate, have already been priced in, Capital Economics said.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
The vendor said some other things that were unintelligible because of the overlap between her live speech and the lagging translation.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
While this represents an improvement over the previous school year, students statewide are still lagging behind pre-pandemic achievement levels.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Shares of Disney were up by roughly 1% on Monday, lagging the broader market.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Earle-Sears, who has been lagging in polling, immediately began a one-hour-long fusillade on Spanberger once the debate started.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Why the West is lagging In countries like South Korea and China, dash cam saturation is near-universal.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
The continent is scrambling to build the necessary capacities to defend against drones, highlighting not only its lagging technology but also how rapidly warfare has shifted to the use of unmanned aircraft.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Layer on infrastructure costs, amortization, new storage mandates, refinery retrofits for changing crude blends and the lagging effects of the LCFS credit.
—Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Metrics That Predict, Not Report The lagging nature of HR’s metrics compounds the problem.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
So while the Canadiens’ depth of talent is better than it’s been in years, the depth of trust appears to be still lagging.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, an index of regional bank stocks has been lagging behind the broader market in recent years, suggesting that obvious headwinds for the sector, including weak commercial real estate, have already been priced in, Capital Economics said.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
The vendor said some other things that were unintelligible because of the overlap between her live speech and the lagging translation.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
While this represents an improvement over the previous school year, students statewide are still lagging behind pre-pandemic achievement levels.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Shares of Disney were up by roughly 1% on Monday, lagging the broader market.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Earle-Sears, who has been lagging in polling, immediately began a one-hour-long fusillade on Spanberger once the debate started.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Why the West is lagging In countries like South Korea and China, dash cam saturation is near-universal.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
The continent is scrambling to build the necessary capacities to defend against drones, highlighting not only its lagging technology but also how rapidly warfare has shifted to the use of unmanned aircraft.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging
Adjective
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Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Tai chi is a form of exercise that involves slow, gentle movements and balancing poses.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to researcher and photographer Roberto García-Roa, the vibrant pigments that butterflies once relied on to attract mates and hide from prey are now fading away as colorful tropical forests are replaced with monochrome infrastructure.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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The traditional distinctions between linear and streaming are fading away for sports, however.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unusually warm and dry weather from late September into early October may be delaying peak fall color in some places, and could also result in a shorter, less vibrant season, said Adam Schneider, assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in a recent blog post.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The best way to begin your excursion is with a leisurely stroll around the village’s 19th-century cemetery, where The Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving is buried.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
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It all still gets done, but at a more leisurely pace.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Washington — The Federal Reserve was already facing one of its most difficult battles, steering a shifting economy through a weakening labor market and stubborn inflation.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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Far from expanding opportunity, this excessive wealth locks millions out of the chance to innovate and build, weakening growth for all.—
Scott Ellis,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chad Molter, executive director of Boulder’s Harvest of Hope Pantry, is also worried about how the lingering government shutdown could surge demand.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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After seeing consistent playing time following his February 2024 trade from Memphis and hitting a clutch 3-pointer to help Boston win Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals against Dallas, Tillman tumbled down the depth chart in 2024-25, the result of poor shooting and lingering knee issues.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Representing Super has taken on a tough job, reviving a sagging brand while activist investors send spitballs in from the outside and competitors look to take share.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
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Protests about immigration and sagging ticket sales were among the reasons cited for the move, according to sources.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With the shutdown dragging on, GOP leaders in Congress will have to decide soon whether to extend that date, and by how much.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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The comments came deep into the third week of the shutdown, which is dragging on with no clear end in sight amid a partisan fight in the Senate over federal funding priorities.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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