LAPSES Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

lapses 1 of 2

noun

plural of lapse

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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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

status quos

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

The audit’s conclusions echo several findings of an investigation this year by The Denver Gazette and ProPublica into the Marijuana Enforcement Division’s lapses in policing contaminants entering the legal marketplace. — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 Other women rely on cold water, fans, calendar reminders, or breaking projects into smaller tasks to compensate for lapses in concentration. — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026 Police detained some pavilion organizers, private security personnel and on-duty staff, and launched a probe into any crowd-control and safety lapses. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 Fernández praised his offense Monday and pointed to lapses on the other end, an especially relevant concern after Washington scored 72 first-half points. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026 Dozens of people died, and investigators later found severe safety lapses in the pharmacy’s production of sterile drugs. — Alana Semuels, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 Kimmel’s current contract — lasting just one year — lapses following the end of the current TV season in 2027. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 The moment is a test for the UAE government, which has burnished a reputation for building effective measures against extremist activities but also has bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Willis threw for 210 yards — the third-highest passing output of his career — on the back of lapses in coverage that led to four explosive plays. — Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 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

Noun

Specifically, community members highlighted the 60-decibel noise threshold, 25-foot building setbacks and chalking restrictions.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Other potential launch providers, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin, are both working through setbacks with their launch vehicles.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of setbacks

Verb

The timeline calls for the Royals to move to the new stadium a year before the team’s lease at Kauffman Stadium expires.

— Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Trump immediately signed an order for new 10 percent global tariffs for a limited time of 150 days that expires on July 24.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of expires

Noun

The president, who generally resists admitting fault, has recently made several reversals responding to ethical concerns.

— Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026
But while anti-immigrant, pro-Russian parties have made inroads across the continent in recent years, there have also been notable reversals, and some have softened their views to build coalitions with moderates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of reversals

Noun

Verizon’s 2026 healthcare breach snapshot identifies vulnerability exploitation, phishing and credential abuse among initial access routes, alongside persistent staff errors and misconfigurations.

— Aliasgar Dohadwala, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Potential industrial applications This was then used to tell the robot’s limbs what moves to make, all the while monitoring the cube’s state to check and correct for errors.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of errors

Noun

That was March 2020, when the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler tried to coordinate production halts over Covid-19 fears, only to be warned by their lawyers that doing so could violate antitrust rules.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of halts

Verb

The New Braunfels, Texas, resident kept a frenetic touring schedule, headlining major Texas venues and mid-sized dance halls around the country, with occasional arena or amphitheater stops opening for Koe Wetzel thrown in.

— Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026
Nighttime mouth breathing is associated with snoring, dry mouth, receding gums and sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops repeatedly during sleep.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of stops

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lapses

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Style

“Lapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapses. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lapses

noun

verb

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