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
Relevance
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
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3
as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
wasn't bothered by the lapse of her membership at the health club
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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
James McNicholas, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Residents in those states rely solely on marketplace plans and are more vulnerable to federal funding lapses.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
The push followed months of scrutiny over safety lapses and near-misses, including the January midair collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2025
But missing Curry did not excuse the team’s lapses.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Left unaddressed, this can lead to cognitive decline, including lapses in memory, trouble concentrating, or dementia-like symptoms in severe cases.
—Brigid Dwyer, Verywell Health, 6 Nov. 2025
Mitrovic will be tasked with taking over a team that fell below expectations in 2025, as the club missed the playoffs for the second straight season with a 9-16-9 record (36 points) and suffered from lapses that caused weeks and sometimes months-long winless runs.
—Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
Funding lapses send government scientists home without pay.
—Kenneth M. Evans, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
But DeSantis dismissed calls from state Democrats to declare an emergency, tap into emergency funds and distribute food aid as funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program lapses.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
This was a creditable Arsenal performance, punctuated — and punished — by two uncharacteristic defensive lapses.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapses
Noun
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After back-to-back campaigns filled with setbacks, Scott re-signed with the Panthers on a 1-year deal this offseason.—
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Backups Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris suffered setbacks in subsequent weeks, pushing the Chiefs down to their last options at tackle on the depth chart.—
Noun
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In Slow Horses — an adaptation of author Mick Herron's award-winning Slough House series — Oldman, 67, portrays Jackson Lamb, the leader of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents whose career-ending mistakes landed them an unwanted spot at Slough House.—
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This game was a defensive battle on both sides, as Hurts and Purdy had their fair share of mistakes, though the latter’s showed up in the box score.—
Noun
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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.—
Verb
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Both are widely respected, but Sky News has been loss-making for years and its current funding guarantee from Comcast — one of the stipulations of the 2018 deal — expires in 2028.—
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The current deal expires on May 1, 2026.—
Noun
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To the contrary, though the film is frequently funny, Brewer takes their ambitions and reversals seriously.—
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This is the state shifting the financial burden of its own delays and reversals onto the very organizations tasked with delivering public services.—
Noun
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In other words, some of those 110-year-olds might just be clerical errors.—
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After months of harping on these errors in film study and practices, Kerr finally went to an unconventional method to inspire change.—
Noun
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Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.—
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The fact that any soliloquy halts dramatic action also poses a challenge.—
Verb
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The team that stops the run and mitigates mistakes will win this one.—
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The group stops to talk to one who took a fall while riding his bike in his neighborhood.—
Cite this Entry
“Lapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapses. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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