1
as in setbacks
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the scandal caused the president to suffer a dramatic lapse in popularity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mistakes
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
his slip of the tongue about the mayor's name was an unfortunate lapse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
wasn't bothered by the lapse of her membership at the health club
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in expires
to come to an end
the contract will lapse at the end of the year unless we renew
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lapses
Reuters, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.
—Aditya Soni, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
What happened to Offutt is part of a series of county lapses that have caused overdetentions for at least three years.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Industry groups say the last shutdown disrupted travel for roughly 6 million passengers, a reminder of how quickly funding lapses can ripple through the aviation system.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 18 Feb. 2026
Unlike in past lengthy shutdowns, air traffic controllers — a group that has played a role in ending past lapses — are funded.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 17 Feb. 2026
That said, there’s plenty about the series — which ran from 2003 to 2018 — that is very cringeworthy, represents major lapses of judgment and would never make it on the air today.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, my opponent’s record shows a pattern of ethical lapses, financial mismanagement, & self-promotion that has undermined trust in this office.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
For Democrats, those numbers suggest that a shutdown centered on immigration enforcement may not carry the same political risks as past funding lapses.
—Nik Popli, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organizational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.
—Reuters, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.
—Aditya Soni, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
What happened to Offutt is part of a series of county lapses that have caused overdetentions for at least three years.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Industry groups say the last shutdown disrupted travel for roughly 6 million passengers, a reminder of how quickly funding lapses can ripple through the aviation system.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 18 Feb. 2026
Unlike in past lengthy shutdowns, air traffic controllers — a group that has played a role in ending past lapses — are funded.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 17 Feb. 2026
That said, there’s plenty about the series — which ran from 2003 to 2018 — that is very cringeworthy, represents major lapses of judgment and would never make it on the air today.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, my opponent’s record shows a pattern of ethical lapses, financial mismanagement, & self-promotion that has undermined trust in this office.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
For Democrats, those numbers suggest that a shutdown centered on immigration enforcement may not carry the same political risks as past funding lapses.
—Nik Popli, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
That could — when the policy lapses ― expose taxpayers to additional risk.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapses
Noun
-
Frank repeatedly praised their resilience and ability to respond to setbacks during his reign, but that mainly happened in away matches.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But, so far, Fanatics hasn’t faced much scrutiny either by federal regulators or in Congress, and the company hasn’t hit any major setbacks in the cases in which it’s accused of monopolistic practices.—
A.J. Perez,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In February 2025, NASA hired an independent team to determine why the mission failed, examining everything from broken hardware to leadership mistakes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
-
District Attorney John Creuzot has since assigned two lawyers to check the judgments with district clerks to help prevent mistakes.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But that pledge expires at the end of this year.—
Sophia Newcomer,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Yet the resignation occurs at a time of heightened rhetoric as the owners are expected to lock out the players at the conclusion of this season when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There were significant tactical market peaks in January or February in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2025, all of them involving momentum reversals and forced rotations as an aggravating factor.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Health experts say Kennedy has made sweeping reversals on these statements.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Boston scored three runs apiece in the seventh and ninth, while the Twins made four errors in the contest.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The prosecution detailed nine separate errors made by Plamberger during the climb—from failing to bring bivy gear to failing to abide by a reasonable turnaround time—which collectively suggest a charge of gross negligence.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers.—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For this reason, Yuen added, humidifiers can be particularly helpful for people who have a cold, asthma, or obstructive sleep apnea, which is when breathing starts and stops during sleep due to airway obstruction.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Additional stops to the itinerary are dropped and added at will.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapses. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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