1
as in fades
to lose bodily strength or vigor
during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delays
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 lags
Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Michigan lags When Whitmer first called for a ban on smartphones in the classroom during her 2025 State of the State address, nine states had already adopted school cellphone bans of some kind.
—Jordyn Hermani, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
That lags far behind his fellow Democrats competing for the nomination.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Hunt’s lane Hunt lags the other two candidates in financial resources, reporting $744,000 in campaign cash in hand at the end of 2025, well below Paxton’s tally and a fraction of the money Cornyn can access.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Labour consistently lags behind the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and its failure to improve had sparked talk of a leadership challenge, even before the Mandelson revelations.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Labour consistently lags behind the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and its failure to improve had sparked talk of a leadership challenge, even before the Mandelson revelations.
—Jill Lawless The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Yet public health guidance still lags decades behind the science.
—Bret Scher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, currently, its international representation (approximately 3%) lags behind MLB (approximately 27%) and the NBA (with approximately 25% international representation).
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Since then, more than 400 people have been released, according to rights group Foro Penal, though the tally lags official claims of over 800.
—Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Michigan lags When Whitmer first called for a ban on smartphones in the classroom during her 2025 State of the State address, nine states had already adopted school cellphone bans of some kind.
—Jordyn Hermani, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
That lags far behind his fellow Democrats competing for the nomination.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Hunt’s lane Hunt lags the other two candidates in financial resources, reporting $744,000 in campaign cash in hand at the end of 2025, well below Paxton’s tally and a fraction of the money Cornyn can access.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Labour consistently lags behind the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and its failure to improve had sparked talk of a leadership challenge, even before the Mandelson revelations.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Labour consistently lags behind the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and its failure to improve had sparked talk of a leadership challenge, even before the Mandelson revelations.
—Jill Lawless The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Yet public health guidance still lags decades behind the science.
—Bret Scher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, currently, its international representation (approximately 3%) lags behind MLB (approximately 27%) and the NBA (with approximately 25% international representation).
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lags
Verb
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Singleton acknowledged that sustaining the coordinated, multi-agency model beyond the World Cup will be difficult once the spotlight fades.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The continent’s funds have seen steady inflows over the last 12 months, after years of outflows, as pessimism over Europe’s economy fades.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This mistake not only holds up your travel plans, but also delays passengers behind you as TSA officers search through your carry-on.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
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Under state law, there is a 14-day pre-eviction notice required for nonpayment of rent, which delays the impact.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Three recent stories about South Florida travel covered airport slowdowns, changing tourism trends and new technology to speed up security.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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More industries are retooling around AI after experiencing slowdowns in their core businesses.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cutting the International Affairs Budget (which includes USAID) weakens our global leadership and can leave preventable crises to become a problem later on.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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That pattern weakens the polar vortex’s grip on cold air, allowing Arctic air to spill into the central and southern United States.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Veloso’s imagery is one that lingers long after the film credits have rolled.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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What lingers is that image of Powell in the beanie.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike your average and typical pillow that sags over time, this one has hotel-like appeal because of its precise border for a structured, refined look.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
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Queen of minimalism, Janet has essentially just set type in panels—but the way the background sags like a deflating hot-air balloon, with the type recessed into it, is so wry and brilliant.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As the crisis drags on, life is slowly grinding to a halt across this island of nearly 10 million people.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Airlines and travel trade groups say the funding lapse is raising concerns about staffing levels at security checkpoints and the risk of operational disruptions if the shutdown drags on, as roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers work without pay.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The other performances are equally remote — this is the kind of a movie where nobody talks over anybody else’s lines, with steady pauses between each piece of dialogue — keeping the viewer at a certain distance.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
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Funding was eventually restored after a series of lawsuits challenging payment pauses, eligibility requirements, and requests from the federal government for sensitive citizen data.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lags. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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