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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Women run roughly 11% of Fortune 500 companies, and that figure actually slipped this year. — Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 The styles incorporate features typically found in work shoes, including nano toe, steel toe, waterproof, electrical hazard protection, slip resistant outsoles and quick draw laces. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 30 June 2026
Noun
This episode does a really great job at portraying Rhaenyra’s slip toward madness or, if not madness per se, then a much more unhinged version of her former self. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 Korpela said the shortage of marina slips has worsened in recent years as more people have purchased boats without a corresponding increase in dockage. — Miami Herald, 6 July 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
  • The woman fell about 1,500 vertical feet, from around 12,000 feet to about 11,500 feet.
    — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • The report will also provide insight into whether American workers’ paychecks are falling further behind inflation.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • After a chance meeting saving the life of a reporter, Dez stumbles across a vast conspiracy and now must stop the forces intent on keeping their secrets safe.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026
  • The hole was discovered in early April when a volunteer on a weekend cemetery clean-up day stumbled upon it.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Koorimannil managed to sneak out a screenshot from his computer that AP and security nonprofit C4ADS used to identify the key to his productivity — a software platform called Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition, or KT for short.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
  • In just its fourth World Cup appearance, Norway has the chance to sneak into the Round of 16 for the third time.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • But the challenge has remained over the decades for popes that the threat of schism, or a rupture within the church, might lurk behind a preference for a more solemn liturgy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Mow regularly and trim your edges, since ticks lurk in tall grass and brush.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Rainfall — as little as a tenth of an inch, according to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, or ALCOSAN — can cause an overflow of stormwater and raw sewage to flow into the rivers.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Through the morning, a river of mourners dressed in black flowed from the Grand Mosalla.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Three extraordinary new books, published this year, shed light on the brilliance and complexity of Morrison’s life and work, and place her as an American eminence, a visionary who saw fiction as a means through which to recast her country’s story.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The bipartisan Colorado Polling Institute released a survey that sheds some more light on Melat Kiros win.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of shed
Noun
  • The handle comes with one original Athena Club cartridge, which has a skin guard to prevent nicks and a hyaluronic acid serum strip.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026
  • The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of strip
Noun
  • Despite the full lineup and passionate patriotic crowd in Seattle, Team USA looked uncomfortable from the start, fell behind early, made sloppy mistakes and could not keep up with the Belgians, who move on to face Spain in the quarterfinals.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • The scribe carefully inscribed each line with a quill made from a goose feather, while their other hand wielded an erasing knife used to sharpen the quill and scrape away any mistakes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 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 7 Jul. 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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