elapse

verb

i-ˈlaps How to pronounce elapse (audio)
Definition of elapsenext
as in to expire
to come to an end in those coin-operated binoculars at scenic areas your viewing time seems to elapse almost before it has begun

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 elapse These nights generally elapsed with all the passengers sitting upright, trying to avoid one another’s gaze in the strange intimacy of the little cubicle. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026 How long had elapsed between getting that email and sitting down and writing this song with that in mind? — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026 Meanwhile, the prior 10% levy that elapsed on Friday came with a time limit. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 But with Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon, and Rashford’s £40m release clause for other clubs elapsing last week, a new set of negotiations is required for his exit. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for elapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elapse
  1. expire
  2. stop
  3. end
  4. cease
  5. conclude
  6. halt
  7. lapse
  8. pass
Verb
  • However, those warnings later expired, according to the Associated Press.
    — Jason Volack, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The law means requests for mail-in ballots expire at the end of a presidential election cycle and a new request must be submitted to vote by mail in subsequent elections.
    — Sara-James Ranta, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of expire
Verb
  • The aid workers who once regularly visited her village to help pregnant women had stopped coming, after foreign aid cuts by the United States shuttered a program aimed at saving mothers’ and babies’ lives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The exposure obviously scares him, but not enough to stop him from filming his next scene, where he’s been tasked with breaking in newcomer Cami Soul.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stop
Verb
  • Jurin keeps working after the conversation ends—across phone, email, web chat and LINE, the messaging app used by the vast majority of Japan’s population—connecting plain language to the software that acts.
    — Jurin AI Contributor, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The senator expressed concerns about the effects if Arkansas tries to end Medicaid expansion altogether.
    — Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of end
Verb
  • Workers at the nonprofit were laid off after the money went missing, and the organization eventually ceased operating.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Combs' team issued two cease-and-desist letters to Netflix in response to the documentary's release.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cease
Verb
  • The Mexican government’s 2022 truth commission concluded that the cartel, Guerreros Unidos, and government authorities had been involved.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Training camp standout to preseason star Shortly after the draft concluded in April, Brown signed a rookie contract that guaranteed him just $105,000 at the time of signing.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of conclude
Verb
  • Monday’s win showed signs of another upward swing to halt what’s been an ugly skid.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Republican Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland applauded Commissioner Scott’s decision to halt construction.
    — Laura Romero, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of halt
Verb
  • In fact, recent research suggests that 71% of in-store buying represents new, lapsed, or occasional purchases.
    — Connie Etemadi, Freep.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That's being litigated as well right now, even though those tariffs have lapsed.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of lapse
Verb
  • The ban has been in place long enough that an entire cohort of girls has passed through adolescence without stepping foot in a secondary school classroom.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Still, there was always the latent threat that someday, even in the distant future, the broader mass of American citizenry would elect politicians and pass policies to explicitly target the oligarchs’ assets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pass

Browse Nearby Words

élan vital
elapse
elapsed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elapse. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elapse

Nglish: Translation of elapse for Spanish Speakers

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