time-lapse

adjective

ˈtīm-ˌlaps How to pronounce time-lapse (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting a movie or video made so that when shown an action (such as the opening of a flower bud or the flow of traffic) appears to be sped up

Examples of time-lapse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
SolarWatch also gives real-time and time-lapse simulations of the moon's shadow racing across a 3D representation of Earth, along with educational content on eclipse phenomena such as Baily's Beads. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The imagery and time-lapse video reveal an unprecedented look at the sun’s complex and dynamic photosphere, the visible surface of the sun that exists as a thin layer of atmosphere shaped by magnetic fields and currents of fluid plasma. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026 The effect was less like watching a time-lapse than hurtling across a social-media feed. — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026 In a flyby maneuver earlier this year, Psyche used the planet’s gravity to reshape its trajectory, all while capturing images that NASA has stitched into a mesmerizing time-lapse video. — Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for time-lapse

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of time-lapse was in 1926

Rhymes for time-lapse

See All Rhymes for time-lapse

Browse Nearby Words

time lag
time-lapse
timeless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Time-lapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time-lapse. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All