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
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
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
That leaves her school in need of more realistic solutions for another season of lagging attendance for what’s supposed to be its marquee sport.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The others are lagging behind, still treating global cinema as supplemental rather than central.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
North Carolina ranks 43rd in the nation for teacher pay, lagging behind neighboring states like South Carolina and Virginia.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2026
Deaths are a lagging indicator, however, and increase as the season progresses.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Last fall, experts told TIME that lagging vaccination rates were likely responsible for a surge of influenza cases across Asia.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Large organizations are lagging behind smaller companies in AI usage per employee, with regulatory and ROI concerns cited as top barriers, according to the report.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
The researchers found that six of those indicators are improving but too slowly to meet the Paris goals, and the rest are lagging or moving in the wrong direction.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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
Lockheed Martin rose less than 11% over the past 12 months, lagging the S & P 500's 17% gain in the same period.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
That leaves her school in need of more realistic solutions for another season of lagging attendance for what’s supposed to be its marquee sport.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The others are lagging behind, still treating global cinema as supplemental rather than central.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
North Carolina ranks 43rd in the nation for teacher pay, lagging behind neighboring states like South Carolina and Virginia.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2026
Deaths are a lagging indicator, however, and increase as the season progresses.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Last fall, experts told TIME that lagging vaccination rates were likely responsible for a surge of influenza cases across Asia.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Large organizations are lagging behind smaller companies in AI usage per employee, with regulatory and ROI concerns cited as top barriers, according to the report.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
The researchers found that six of those indicators are improving but too slowly to meet the Paris goals, and the rest are lagging or moving in the wrong direction.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging
Adjective
-
Traditional humanoid robots depend heavily on data collected by human operators, which is slow and expensive.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Her days were slow and intentional.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But her role as fading movie star Kay Stone in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, opposite Timothée Chalamet, marks her grand return.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
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The days of underground stashes and whispered conversations are fading fast.—
Amplified Content Studio,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Since oxygen is the culprit, the trick to delaying the browning process is to shield the flesh from oxygen exposure.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
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But a weaker-than-expected first quarterly earnings report in September was followed a week later by a testing explosion that destroyed a rocket stage — delaying an upcoming launch — and sent the company’s stock plummeting to about $20.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Other advantages include the leisurely pace, the excellent service on board, and the quality of the food and wine served.—
David Swanson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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New research suggests that light daily movement, such as gentle stretching, a leisurely stroll, or easy household chores like vacuuming are linked to a lower risk of death in people with these overlapping conditions, called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Milk, butter and cheese prices on the wholesale market and at grocery stores have decreased slightly due to oversupply and weakening consumer demand.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This suggests consumers enter 2026 with continuing concerns over high prices and weakening labor market conditions.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ultimately, however, the lingering impact of being dragged last summer is known only to the officer – who is said to be experienced, with more than 10 years of service as an ICE deportation officer, according to DHS.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The lingering fear of Jerry's wrath?—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pull your stomach inward toward the spine and hold this position without sagging hips or arching your back.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
13 Jan. 2026
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The Fed has cut interest rates at each of its last three meetings, in an effort to shore up a sagging job market.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kerra, the dog referenced in the video, had developed a grapefruit-sized mass on her breast tissue that was dragging on the ground and causing significant discomfort.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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That takes nothing away, though, from the epic job Herbert did dragging the Chargers through the second half of the season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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