lags 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lag
1
as in fades
to lose bodily strength or vigor during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

lags

2 of 2

noun

plural of lag
as in slowdowns

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 lags
Verb
Hinton emphasizes recognizing this evolving challenge, not halting AI development, as the safety infrastructure lags behind AI capabilities. — Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 This warming impact typically lags the peak of El Niño by several months, so the bulk of global heating will be observed in 2027. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 Malaysia lags far behind Thailand and Vietnam in exports to China. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Yet Washington lags behind even this imperfect effort, even as adversary cooperation expands, with implications for Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. — Ariane Tabatabai, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 Stevens lags behind in key polls, including an Emerson College poll released July 30 that shows El-Sayed up by 16 points. — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 In comparison, the Luna Ultra lags behind the Pocket 4P, only offering 4K120. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026 That reflation boost appears wobbly, as much of the price recovery was driven by surging global energy costs, while domestic demand lags, economists say. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 July 2026 Prize money in tennis, whether at the Grand Slams or elsewhere, lags behind almost all the major American sports leagues when taken as a proportion of revenue. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lags
  1. fades
  2. delays
  3. slowdowns
  4. weakens
  5. lingers
  6. pauses
  7. sags
  8. drags
Verb
  • Every successful technology eventually fades into the background while those fundamentals remain.
    — Michael Edmondson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Even after his offence fades, Bouchard’s ability to move the puck out of the zone will have high value.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of fades
Verb
  • His isolation is not that of a man locked up in a room but a man who delays going into that room for as long as possible.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The person who delays repayment may create tension, even if unintentionally.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of delays
Noun
  • What makes Seattle’s situation distinct from other regional slowdowns is how tightly these three arcs lock together.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • New software, unusual pop-ups or unexplained computer slowdowns may also warrant a closer look.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of slowdowns
Verb
  • In a turnaround, the danger is that cutting so deeply weakens the capabilities needed for recovery.
    — Ozan Ozerk, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Every decision that follows—from financial management to customer experience—either strengthens or weakens that identity.
    — Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Smoke lingers over the charred ground as flames burn through the brush while Spokane Valley Fire Department crews respond to the Autumn Lane Fire on Monday.
    — Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • High temps have peaked, but heat still lingers The heat wave this weekend was due to an intense heat dome — a mass of high pressure all the way through the higher altitudes of the atmosphere — peaking over Southern California.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of lingers
Noun
  • When thoughtful pauses disappear, organizations eventually lose the ability to think collectively.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Smaller and more rural jurisdictions have also adopted one-year pauses, including Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore and Washington County in Western Maryland.
    — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of pauses
Verb
  • Unfortunately, using too little paint will leave patchy areas and harsh lines, and using too much paint will promote drips and paint that sags.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
  • There is no scrapeable archive of how to grasp a wet cup, unload a box that sags in the middle, fold a towel, or help an older adult out of a chair.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of sags
Verb
  • Daemon is knocked to the ground and then watches as Sheepstealer, ripped and torn and bloody, drags itself away.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Seconds later, Blanka drags another inmate out of the cage, demonstrating his electric powers.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of drags

Browse Nearby Words

lagoons
lags
laical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lags. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lags

Nglish: Translation of lags for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All