1
as in careless
failing to give proper care and attention
lax parents who let their kids stay out as late as they want
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relaxed
not bound by rigid standards
the guidelines for the essay contest were fairly lax, permitting a wide variety of topics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in loosened
not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched
the sheet on the foresail was lax, and so the sail was flapping wildly in the stiff wind
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lax
Complicating matters further are sophisticated networks of onshore and offshore actors who facilitate illicit operations by obscuring catch data, obfuscating labor abuses, and lobbying to maintain lax regulations, according to C4ADS.
—
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Phones weren’t locked in RFID pouches, and security was lax, according to Pinto.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 23 May 2025
The growth of shadow IoT devices at the enterprise level and the lax implementation of security rules for IoT device makers present a serious risk to multinational corporations.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Many of them had been jailed before but released because of lax juvenile crime policies in the city, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
—Peter D'abrosca , Cb Cotton, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lax
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Phones weren’t locked in RFID pouches, and security was lax, according to Pinto.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 23 May 2025
The growth of shadow IoT devices at the enterprise level and the lax implementation of security rules for IoT device makers present a serious risk to multinational corporations.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Many of them had been jailed before but released because of lax juvenile crime policies in the city, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
—Peter D'abrosca , Cb Cotton, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lax
Adjective
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The driver was cited for careless driving causing bodily injury, which is a misdemeanor traffic offense, according to state law.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
4 June 2025
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Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 79, the alleged operator of the boat that struck the teen, has been charged with two misdemeanors for careless operation of a vessel, according to the FWC.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The beaches are wide and relaxed, and the surrounding trails offer dramatic views of the Ligurian coastline.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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There are photographs from those years, in an album with captions my mother wrote on bits of masking tape: my parents posing with other recent arrivals from Kolkata, looking relaxed on what must have been a Sunday afternoon.—
Jhumpa Lahiri,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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In one, which aired in September, 1949, the Goldbergs get a new, neglectful landlord.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Reactive narcissism, however, tends to form as a response to neglectful, inconsistent or abusive childhood experiences.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Helping ease the housing shortage by increasing the supply of small, relatively affordable homes within established neighborhoods, ADUs help slow the rise in housing prices and provide flexible living arrangements for changing family needs.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 June 2025
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The real winners are those who combine strategy with smart systems, focus on value, and stay flexible as technology and markets change and evolve.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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There are questions over whether Iran’s nuclear facilities were damaged to the point of uselessness, how much loose nuclear material may now be floating around Iran, and the speed with which Iran can reconstitute its program.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
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The Daily Telegraph reported that the death was also similar to that of toddler Jack Mackay, who died in the same area in 2013 while playing in his crib with a loose curtain cord, which tragically wrapped around his neck.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The water park has something for everyone—from high-speed slides and a wave pool to a relaxing lazy river and kid-only water slides.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
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Giant tanks of lazy swimmers sit sandwiched between fields of cows and ponds of striped bass, carefully tended by three generations of the Evans family.—
Kylie Williams,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Crystal Skull is easily Spielberg’s laziest, sloppiest work — even the action sequences seem phoned-in — and it’s filled with unforgivable howlers: Shia LaBeouf’s limp attempt at being a bad boy, Cate Blanchett’s hammy villain, the goddamn fridge scene.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
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The Cardinals took full advantage of the sloppy inning, scoring five runs on the way to clobbering the Sox 12-2 in front of 16,974 at Rate Field.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Whenever the topic of his childhood comes up, or even something random about the war, his face goes slack and a mist seems to pass over his eyes.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
24 June 2025
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Before centre-back Gimenez could come on, more slack marking allowed Ferran Torres a free header to make it 2-2.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lax. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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