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
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 lagging
Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
So while America is most likely still a highly desirable place for all kinds of investors, from the average person putting money into a 401(k) to a professional trader, the lagging performance this year is more than your typical year.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
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
Reporting is inconsistent and lagging.
—Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Drew Pittock, USA Today, 15 May 2026
In South Korea, tens of thousands of Samsung workers are threatening to strike amid broader discontent over lagging pay.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
CoStar shows many New York City hotels are still lagging.
—John Dias, CBS News, 12 May 2026
He could have been forgiven for lagging behind — his inclusion in Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw at Burnley maintained his ever-presence in the Premier League this season.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 May 2026
After a series of coups by officers dissatisfied with lagging counterterrorism efforts, juntas in the three countries booted France altogether, establishing close ties with Russia instead.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
Billions of dollars in private investment and federal dollars have flooded into the area in recent years, but many local businesses still express concerns about a lagging regional economy.
—Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Billions of dollars in private investment and federal dollars have flooded into the area in recent years, but many local businesses still express concerns about a lagging regional economy.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
But though the city is lagging behind, California’s capital was the top housing producer in the state per capita from 2020-2024.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Adjective
The lagging percentage of women film directors last year is a clear sign that the industry is going backward, said Kirsten Schaffer, chief executive of WIF, which advocates for women in Hollywood.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
So while America is most likely still a highly desirable place for all kinds of investors, from the average person putting money into a 401(k) to a professional trader, the lagging performance this year is more than your typical year.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
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
Reporting is inconsistent and lagging.
—Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Verb
Those lagging sales, proponents of the theory argue, are largely driven by would-be concertgoers growing disillusioned with high ticket prices, while also facing inflation and oversaturation.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 15 May 2026
In South Korea, tens of thousands of Samsung workers are threatening to strike amid broader discontent over lagging pay.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
CoStar shows many New York City hotels are still lagging.
—John Dias, CBS News, 12 May 2026
He could have been forgiven for lagging behind — his inclusion in Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw at Burnley maintained his ever-presence in the Premier League this season.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 May 2026
After a series of coups by officers dissatisfied with lagging counterterrorism efforts, juntas in the three countries booted France altogether, establishing close ties with Russia instead.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
Billions of dollars in private investment and federal dollars have flooded into the area in recent years, but many local businesses still express concerns about a lagging regional economy.
—Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Billions of dollars in private investment and federal dollars have flooded into the area in recent years, but many local businesses still express concerns about a lagging regional economy.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
But though the city is lagging behind, California’s capital was the top housing producer in the state per capita from 2020-2024.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging
Adjective
-
Pool service can be a bit slow during busy times, but once your perfectly prepared daiquiri arrives, all is forgiven.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
So future agreements could involve cooler normalisation, selective security cooperation, quieter diplomacy and a slower expansion.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
While fading blooms typically wilt or go limp, wilting of foliage or plant stems is a sign the plant is water stressed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
Avoid placing rugs in prolonged direct sunlight as this can cause fading.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Electric propulsion also enables Blitz to have a low acoustic as well as infra-red signature, delaying detection.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
Temporarily delaying action on a state law that would open the door for a lot of homes to be built across the city.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Start the day with grab-and-go breakfast tacos and end it with a leisurely dinner of Wagyu beef fajitas or the Dandy Don, an enchilada sampler made with locally famous La Norteña tortillas.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
-
Its activewear combines fitness, sports with the leisurely surf style.—
Ella Gonzales
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
No ‘victory image’ for Tehran Ruhe similarly argued that Israel wants to avoid any agreement that restores legitimacy to the Iranian regime without fundamentally weakening it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Forecasters say geomagnetic activity is gradually weakening, but lingering disturbances in Earth's magnetic field could still spark visible displays overnight, particularly in northern regions.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Damp conditions inside the drum encourage mildew and lingering odors that can be tough to remove from fabric.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
-
The filmmaker explores how Inés’ coming of age mirrors the lingering wounds of Chile’s political transition to democracy from the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet – a theme at the heart of Martelli’s feature debut Chile ’76, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The cushions will stay bouncy thanks to sinuous springs that prevent sagging over time.—
Christina Shepherd McGuire,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
-
This is infused in extra-large toner pads for deep firming hydration to refine pores, smooth texture, and visibly lift sagging skin all in one gentle swipe.—
Rosa Jisoo Pyo,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Travelers end up dragging coats through museums or try to shove them into already full suitcases before a train transfer.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
That’s led to a stark split between Wall Street analysts and energy experts, who have been warning that oil supplies could head off a cliff in the coming months or even weeks, dragging the global economy down in the process.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
