lapses 1 of 2

noun

plural of lapse
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

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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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lapses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lapse
as in expires
to come to an end the contract will lapse at the end of the year unless we renew

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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 lapses
Noun
Construction accidents are common in India, where rapid infrastructure growth often collides with fragile geology, construction lapses, extreme weather and safety standards. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Haiti’s prisons are not only notorious for their security lapses, but often the only way prisoners eat is if food is provided by friends and relatives. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 The mistakes have been the same from week to week — mistimed tackles, costly turnovers and defensive lapses — and the results have matched. — Latif Love august 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026 That can lead to lapses in concentration, which will need to be ironed out. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 No active Microsoft 365 plan required to keep using them, no features that quietly stop working if a subscription lapses. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 26 July 2026 Clear communication about who is responsible for supervision can prevent these lapses. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 The idea is that airport security operations can remain unaffected by funding lapses and government shutdowns, while still maintaining strict federal oversight and regulations. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026 Jordan Smith Councilors rejected a symbolic demand for reforms at the Indy office that targets the root causes of violent crime, after a recent audit found oversight lapses and potential conflicts of interest while the spending rose. — Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 9 July 2026
Verb
Is gas still moving through the Tabriz-Ankara corridor at material volumes in mid-July, after the contract lapses? — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 That could — when the policy lapses ― expose taxpayers to additional risk. — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapses
  1. setbacks
  2. mistakes
  3. cessations
  4. expires
  5. reversals
  6. errors
  7. halts
  8. stops
Noun
  • Employers notice people who have challenged themselves, overcome setbacks, and demonstrated the discipline to keep learning and improving over time.
    — Alex DiLeonardo, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Iran has demonstrated its ability to effectively control the Strait of Hormuz and to strike American allies in the region, and setbacks to allies such as Hezbollah are unlikely to permanently end Tehran’s ability to project power through proxies.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of setbacks
Noun
  • The Ravens did that, committing only three penalties for 25 yards (the Eagles had 10 for 96), limiting their mistakes and controlling the line of scrimmage.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The second-round pass rusher made aggressive mistakes, falling twice for option fakes and overrunning a screen pass early.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistakes
Noun
  • 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.
    — Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of cessations
Verb
  • The more assertive stance comes as a US-Iran agreement intended to end the war, the Memorandum of Understanding, expires with control of the Strait of Hormuz still in dispute.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Years later, when the drug’s patent expires, generic manufacturers crowd in and prices sharply fall.
    — Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of expires
Noun
  • The deconditioning model did not survive contact with the data, and the reanalysis of the trial that underpinned it is one of the more significant reversals in recent medicine.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Traders profit when prices jump up and down, and with his taste for cliffhangers, threats and policy reversals, Trump provides plenty of potentially market-moving content.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of reversals
Noun
  • This would, of course, require extensive testing with native speakers and guaranteed human intervention when errors could potentially harm someone.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Arday admitted making citation errors and apologized, but denied lying.
    — Rupert Neate, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of errors
Noun
  • The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • Since prolonged production halts can cause permanent damage to oil wells, shutting them down is typically a last resort.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 June 2026
Definition of halts
Verb
  • These memorable rail journeys - one in Canada, two in the United States - offer up incredible panroamas, city stops, mountains and forests, traversing long distances across the continent.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This stops the pathologic transmission of electrical activity causing tremors or other symptoms.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of stops

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Cite this Entry

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

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Nglish: Translation of lapses for Spanish Speakers

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