slips 1 of 3

Definition of slipsnext
present tense third-person singular of slip
1
2
3
as in sneaks
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way casually slipped it into the conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
6
as in sheds
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside periodically crabs slip their shells and grow new ones

Synonyms & Similar Words

slips

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of slip
as in strips
a long narrow piece of material baskets woven from slips of wicker

Synonyms & Similar Words

slips

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of slip
1
2
as in spills
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily had a nasty slip on the ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4

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 slips
Verb
The initial wave will be the strongest, NEXT Weather meteorologists say but will gradually get weaker overnight as the front slips to the south. Joseph Dames, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 Talent slips to through the cracks. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026 The good news is that the mood begins to lighten around midmonth, especially when the sun slips into Taurus on April 19, energizing your fifth house of love, romance and pleasure. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026 In a market increasingly focused on slowing growth, softer consumer spending, and more selective valuation discipline, Marriott looks vulnerable to a meaningful re-rating lower if execution slips even modestly. Tony Zhang, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026 This one slips under the radar. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026 After one of Javadi's patients slips through the cracks, Dana calls in an old friend with experience running a low-tech ER. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 The Pleiades are at their most spectacular from October to March, after which the cluster slips ever lower in the spring sky, appearing closer to the horizon with each passing night. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026 Obergfell also slips literary connections into the mix, starting with the title of show (which is also the title of the chessboard piece). Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
The slides are equipped for indoor or outdoor use, thanks to a textured, water-resistant outsole that helps protect against slips. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2026 The Escape Hybrid slips by in the shadow of rivals in part because of an early engine fire recall, but also because of the discontinuation of the model at the end of this model year. Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026 Something that reflects how Dan Fogelman’s show is no longer behaving like a straightforward postapocalypse story and how this season’s narrative slips and slides through the timeline, increasingly shortchanging the series creator’s innate preference for sincerity. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026 The city wants to put in another restaurant and reduce the number of slips to 17. U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026 After 12 games, a few dozen slips and one injury over three days, the Big 12 Conference Tournament employees were scrambling late Thursday — err, early Friday — for their busiest hours yet. Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026 For the ladies, Kamara tapped the sexiness of Betty’s onstage lingerie outfits, with nylon slips featuring bright neon trim and polka dots, creating rhythm and disruption amid the sharp tailoring and long-legged silhouettes with strong shoulders. Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026 The addition of mustard greens and a few slips of chili oil provide a sharpness to the beefy bonanza. Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026 The humanoid is also seen performing controlled forward slips before smoothly getting back on its feet with movements that closely resemble human motion. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slips
Verb
  • Grapevine surges from behind, falls short Lake Creek provided most of the pressure early in the match, keeping the ball in Grapevine’s end and getting off six shots before the Mustangs started pressing in the 26th minute.
    Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, once an aristocratic mansion, falls somewhere between the avant-garde works at the Reina Sofia and the traditional Spanish art at the Prado.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich follows the titular law firm worker who stumbles upon records involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company's culpability in a contamination incident.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Bankman-Fried stumbles through an answer about payments.
    Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Ortiz sneaks field recordings and samples into these songs, too—each adding texture to the universe of her songs and evoking the wider world that exists just outside the frame of her narration.
    Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
  • But some sunlight still sneaks through Earth’s atmosphere, bends around the planet and lands on the moon.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Boston lurks close behind at +550.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The Churchill Suite peers over the Ministry of Defence (where Henry VIII’s wine cellar still lurks) and was the locus of military strategising.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Carbios reported a financial loss of about $12 million, reflecting lower income from cash investments, interest flows with subsidiaries, interest paid on loans and a non-cash impairment provision.
    Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The cost spiked due to a slowdown in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for oil shipments through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply normally flows.
    Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The abundance of light that Koestenbaum sheds on the rabbi is humorous, sure, but also humanistic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Limited Financial Buffers The survey also sheds light on how limited many households’ financial buffers are.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The roof flakes, the porch sags.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Their constant companion in the campaign is the Amazona 180 bag that made its debut on the Loewe runway last October, a slouchy, one-handle style that sags open when left unzipped.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Plus, the amount of walking that Japan trips require is no joke.
    Elaina Verhoff, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Jones, playing a rugged nonconference schedule every year, went 133-125 in eight seasons at TSU, leading the Tigers to three straight NCAA Tournament trips from 2021-23, including winning a pair of First Four games.
    Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slips.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slips. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on slips

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster