as in slow
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the lagging pace of work on the project was worrisome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lagging
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
So while America is most likely still a highly desirable place for all kinds of investors, from the average person putting money into a 401(k) to a professional trader, the lagging performance this year is more than your typical year.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
Layer on infrastructure costs, amortization, new storage mandates, refinery retrofits for changing crude blends and the lagging effects of the LCFS credit.
—Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Metrics That Predict, Not Report The lagging nature of HR’s metrics compounds the problem.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Reporting is inconsistent and lagging.
—Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Large organizations are lagging behind smaller companies in AI usage per employee, with regulatory and ROI concerns cited as top barriers, according to the report.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
The researchers found that six of those indicators are improving but too slowly to meet the Paris goals, and the rest are lagging or moving in the wrong direction.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
While the company had been lagging behind its big tech peers, the stock soared 10% last week following a strong quarterly report that showed substantial growth in the AWS cloud division.
—Julie Coleman, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
With heat records being broken year after year, and progress on emissions lagging, even the most radical climate ideas are starting to sound less far-fetched.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Staten Island and the Bronx, meanwhile, are lagging behind.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2025
He was endorsed by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out of the running after lagging in polls and being indicted on corruption charges, which were later dismissed.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
King also said that the Fort Worth school district is lagging behind other large urban districts.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.
—Verb
Estonian fiction films have been lagging behind quality-wise, and that’s been going on for a while.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging
Adjective
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Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.—
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When visiting the exhibit, plan on taking your time to make the most of it, or what the American Federation of Arts calls slow looking.—
Verb
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But her role as fading movie star Kay Stone in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, opposite Timothée Chalamet, marks her grand return.—
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The days of underground stashes and whispered conversations are fading fast.—
Verb
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Since oxygen is the culprit, the trick to delaying the browning process is to shield the flesh from oxygen exposure.—
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But a weaker-than-expected first quarterly earnings report in September was followed a week later by a testing explosion that destroyed a rocket stage — delaying an upcoming launch — and sent the company’s stock plummeting to about $20.—
Adjective
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Fortunately, there's usually plenty of pleasant autumn days after the first frost to tackle the remaining fall gardening tasks at a more leisurely rate.—
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During November, coastal towns transform into quieter versions of themselves, offering a season for birdwatching, leisurely walks, or festivals with good music and food.—
Verb
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Milk, butter and cheese prices on the wholesale market and at grocery stores have decreased slightly due to oversupply and weakening consumer demand.—
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This suggests consumers enter 2026 with continuing concerns over high prices and weakening labor market conditions.—
Verb
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Ultimately, however, the lingering impact of being dragged last summer is known only to the officer – who is said to be experienced, with more than 10 years of service as an ICE deportation officer, according to DHS.—
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The lingering fear of Jerry's wrath?—
Verb
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The fragile skeleton of her ego threatened to snap under the pressure of the animal forces that pressed down on her consciousness, her narrative mind sagging and distended beneath pitiless and grandiose feeling.—
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With age, the body’s natural collagen supplies decline, which can result in sagging, crepey skin.—
Verb
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Kerra, the dog referenced in the video, had developed a grapefruit-sized mass on her breast tissue that was dragging on the ground and causing significant discomfort.—
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That takes nothing away, though, from the epic job Herbert did dragging the Chargers through the second half of the season.—
Cite this Entry
“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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