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lapse

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun lapse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lapse are blunder, error, mistake, and slip. While all these words mean "a departure from what is true, right, or proper," lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

a lapse in judgment

When might blunder be a better fit than lapse?

While in some cases nearly identical to lapse, blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

diplomatic blunders

Where would error be a reasonable alternative to lapse?

Although the words error and lapse have much in common, error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

procedural errors

In what contexts can mistake take the place of lapse?

In some situations, the words mistake and lapse are roughly equivalent. However, mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

dialed the wrong number by mistake

When can slip be used instead of lapse?

The words slip and lapse can be used in similar contexts, but slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

a slip of the tongue

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 lapse
Noun
There’s no one to fix the seemingly inevitable mental lapses. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 Professional cameras that also have time lapse functionality will be much more expensive. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 2 June 2025
Verb
The country’s first solar tax credits took effect in 1978, but were allowed to lapse in 1985, when President Ronald Regan was in office. Tik Root, Wired News, 24 May 2025 That law thankfully lapsed in 1800, even though the new president, Thomas Jefferson, later used it to sue a handful of newspaper editors for libel during his first term. Richard Stengel, Time, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapse
Noun
  • The ruling is a major setback for Republican leadership, who are under pressure to expeditiously move it to the Senate floor to meet Trump's Fourth of July deadline for passage.
    Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 26 June 2025
  • Senate Republicans hit a major setback in their race to pass a massive tax and spending package on Thursday, as a chamber official ruled against a key provision to get the conference on board to vote for the plan by week's end.
    Claudia Grisales, NPR, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Jumping onto Andrew Cuomo’s leaky ship was a devastating mistake for the pro-Israel movement.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
  • Here are the five hidden profile mistakes that stop your ideal clients getting in touch.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
  • This cessation would have come immediately after these raids were getting started in earnest.
    The Editors, National Review, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Messi left at the end of that season, his contract allowed to expire, while Neymar also departed.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • But that’s because in the TCJA, many of the tax benefits for individuals were set to expire at the end of 2025, while the corporate tax breaks were largely permanent.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The policy represents a reversal for Fannie and Freddie, the two entities under government conservatorship that guarantee more than half of America’s mortgages.
    Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
  • Trump and his party have made the rollback of LGBTQ rights a nationwide priority, and more encroachments—perhaps even the reversal of Obergefell—appear to be on conservatives’ radar.
    Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • That poll surveyed 658 Virginia residents between May 12 and May 19, and has a weighted margin of error of 5.25 percent.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
  • Many small business workers may not have digital access or face language barriers when missing paperwork or tech errors can result in automatic loss of coverage.
    Rhett Buttle, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • The Tatum injury sent Boston’s dynastic rise into a screeching halt.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
  • Loyalty is hard to maintain when authenticity falters and innovation halts.
    Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Last month, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to end the work permits and deportation protections of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans TPS recipients.
    June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
  • Despite stocks dipping slightly after President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. would end all trade talks with Canada, the S&P 500 recovered to close at a record high -- 6,173.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapse. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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