slack 1 of 3

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slack

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noun

1
as in latitude
an allowable margin of freedom or variation our boss doesn't cut us any slack when it comes to being back from lunch on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in slackness
the extent to which something hangs or dips below a straight line take up the slack of a rope

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

slack

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verb

as in to loosen
to make less taut the skipper ordered the crew to slack off the sheets on the mainsail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slack different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of slack are lax, neglectful, negligent, and remiss. While all these words mean "culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness," slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.

slack workmanship

When might lax be a better fit than slack?

While in some cases nearly identical to slack, lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.

a reporter lax about accurate quotation

When could neglectful be used to replace slack?

The words neglectful and slack can be used in similar contexts, but neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.

a society callously neglectful of the poor

In what contexts can negligent take the place of slack?

While the synonyms negligent and slack are close in meaning, negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.

negligent about writing a note of thanks

When is it sensible to use remiss instead of slack?

The synonyms remiss and slack are sometimes interchangeable, but remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.

had been remiss in their familial duties

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 slack
Adjective
Descending is still important, especially in modern cross country, so XC bikes often have dropper posts and slack head angles, but the geometry is still less confidence-inspiring than trail bikes. Seb Stott, Outside Online, 27 Jan. 2025 If the rules are too slack, people take advantage of them. Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Ukraine Looks to Europe for Arms European countries don't have the production levels, military stockpiles or technology to pick up all the slack left by the U.S.'s pause, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is recruiting their help for ambitious joint investment projects. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025 Starters haven’t pitched deep consistently all season, and with the way the injury bug has hit the rotation, the Mets have needed relievers to pick up the slack. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
Verb
Whether progress endures will depend on whether state policymakers resist the urge to slack on debt reduction at the first sign of improvement. Andrew Fowler, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2025 Munn, 44, caught both slack and praise from social media followers after sharing a series of photos of her 3-year-old son, Malcolm, walking down the street in New York City without shoes. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slack
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • In that case, which stemmed from President Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship, the Supreme Court limited the use of universal injunctions in cases with individuals as plaintiffs, but gave lower courts more latitude in cases brought by states.
    Alexander Tin, CBS News, 1 July 2025
  • The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Artificial implants naturally wear out or loosen with time and activity.
    Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 27 June 2025
  • The challenges were steep enough that Georgia has decided to loosen its work verification protocols from monthly to once a year.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The problem isn’t that general providers are careless, but that their systems and staff simply aren’t built for these edge cases.
    Ari Raptis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • When businesses are careless and people get hurt, those businesses should be held accountable.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • The left-hander began the ninth with a groundout, but after Ketel Marte homered and Geraldo Perdomo drew a nine-pitch walk, Spencer Bivens and Erik Miller began to get loose.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 July 2025
  • Make sure to set your face with a pressed or loose setting powder, and then continue with the rest of your eye makeup.
    Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 3 July 2025
Noun
  • According to Redfin, Dilworth is home to sprawling green spaces, eclectic dining options and numerous walking trails.
    Nora O’Neill July 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2025
  • Companies are instead creating more privacy and investing in quality spaces.
    Brit Morse, Fortune, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slack. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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