slip 1 of 3

verb

ˈslip How to pronounce slip (audio)
Definition of slipnext
1
as in to fall
to decline gradually from a standard level the store's quality of service began to slip after the new owners took over

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2
as in to stumble
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily be careful not to slip on the spilled oil

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sneak
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way casually slipped it into the conversation

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4
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner slipped behind the cover of the trees

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5
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily jumped into the car and slipped behind the wheel

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to shed
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside periodically crabs slip their shells and grow new ones

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slip

2 of 3

noun (1)

as in strip
a long narrow piece of material baskets woven from slips of wicker

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slip

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy a careless slip of the tongue

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2
as in fall
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily had a nasty slip on the ice

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3
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement gave her pursuers the slip

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in trip
a wrong judgment that's not the sort of slip that a prudent person would have made

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun slip differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of slip are blunder, error, lapse, and mistake. While all these words mean "a departure from what is true, right, or proper," slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

a slip of the tongue

When is it sensible to use blunder instead of slip?

The meanings of blunder and slip largely overlap; however, blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

diplomatic blunders

When is error a more appropriate choice than slip?

In some situations, the words error and slip are roughly equivalent. However, error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

procedural errors

When would lapse be a good substitute for slip?

The synonyms lapse and slip are sometimes interchangeable, but lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

a lapse in judgment

When can mistake be used instead of slip?

The words mistake and slip are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

dialed the wrong number by mistake

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 slip
Verb
Channel your inner supermodel and slip into H&M’s lace-trimmed, ’90s-minimalist mini. — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026 Vaccination rates have been slipping since the 2019–2020 school year, when the US had obtained rates of around 95 percent, the threshold needed to keep outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases from spreading in communities. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
Boron nitride gives the formula its silky slip and creates a blurring effect, while avocado oil adds conditioning moisture so a matte doesn’t look like skin is parched. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026 Winthrop Harbor authorities will help provide some maintenance and operational responsibilities, and the Northpoint Marina donated a slip so the boat can be quickly launched in the event of an emergency. — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slip
  1. fall
  2. stumble
  3. sneak
  4. lurk
  5. flow
  6. shed
  7. strip
  8. mistake
Verb
  • Brokerages price crypto like an asset class, a few dozen basis points and falling.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Kabita quickly fell pregnant with a daughter of her own, Sonam.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • Vulcan has stumbled due to ongoing problems with the performance of its solid rocket boosters, which are provided by Northrop Grumman.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Nothing that would actually stop a person, a child, a wheelchair or a stumbling drunk from going straight into the water.
    — Joseph V. Sakran, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • The mini bar—located inside a gorgeous wooden cabinet—was filled with local spirits like pox, a Mayan liquor made of corn, sugar cane, and wheat, and Mayalen Guerrero mezcal in a bottle so beautiful I was tempted to sneak it back in my suitcase.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Wilyer Abreu and Adley Rutschman answered with RBI hits before Gasper's first Red Sox homer sneaked around Pesky's Pole in the seventh and Abreu hit an RBI single.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Sub hunting goes on all the time, usually to keep crews in practice as well as to monitor the locations and capabilities of potentially hostile boats lurking beneath the waves.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe dark oxygen would allow for other multicellular creatures to lurk even deeper in the rock.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • According to regulators, the investments all flowed through Spaventa.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Using the streams as indicators of the groundwater flowing beneath them, Campbell is building a model to identify the best potential sites in Idaho for a subsurface dam.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Andy Jones Manchester City Not too much has changed at City in terms of incomings or outgoings but pre-season has shed a bit more light on manager Enzo Maresca’s plans, most noticeably towards midfield.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The employers’ association Gesamtmetall reported in December 2025 that Germany’s metal and electrical engineering industry, the country’s largest, was shedding nearly 10,000 jobs a month.
    — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of shed
Noun
  • With its möbius-strip-esque structure, this surreal social class satire about grief, urban alienation and gentrification in the city of Lagos explores the lost hope of the Nigerian dream.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
  • From sticky tack to adhesive strips, there are plenty of tried-and-true renter-friendly ways to hang your art.
    — Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of strip
Noun
  • That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In a statement Monday, Gomez admitted to making mistakes, but denied violating any laws or House ethics rules.
    — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistake

Phrases Containing slip

Browse Nearby Words

slinks
slip
slip (into)
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Cite this Entry

“Slip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slip. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slip

Nglish: Translation of slip for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slip

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