1
as in fades
to lose bodily strength or vigor
during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delays
to move or act slowly
the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lags
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
That population lags in insurance access, but because the Hispanic community tends to be younger than other groups, the consequences are less severe, Kolb said.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Sodium still lags slightly behind lithium iron phosphate (LFP), the dominant chemistry in the global EV market, on energy density.
—Omar Kardoudi
april 28, New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2026
But public infrastructure there lags, and City Council members raised concerns that developers’ plans were too vague to push forward.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2026
Guinea-Bissau is a highly endemic country for hepatitis B, where vaccination coverage lags behind global averages and roughly 60 percent of the population lives in poverty.
—Uzma Rentia, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
April is typically Florida’s driest month, and as temperatures increase, rainfall lags behind plants’ water needs so people tend to crank up their irrigation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Lens, which lags just one point behind Paris Saint-Germain in the French league standings, had previously met Toulouse on Friday in Ligue 1, with the northern side coming out on top 3-2 after going two goals down.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Russia still lags well behind the West — and China — in overall ship numbers, and its navy has suffered serious setbacks in the Black Sea at the hands of Ukraine, including the sinking of the fleet’s flagship.
—Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
In linear ratings, the freshman lags behind its hot-shot Tuesday lead-ins, Will Trent and High Potential, which both have been renewed.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
That population lags in insurance access, but because the Hispanic community tends to be younger than other groups, the consequences are less severe, Kolb said.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Sodium still lags slightly behind lithium iron phosphate (LFP), the dominant chemistry in the global EV market, on energy density.
—Omar Kardoudi
april 28, New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2026
But public infrastructure there lags, and City Council members raised concerns that developers’ plans were too vague to push forward.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2026
Guinea-Bissau is a highly endemic country for hepatitis B, where vaccination coverage lags behind global averages and roughly 60 percent of the population lives in poverty.
—Uzma Rentia, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
April is typically Florida’s driest month, and as temperatures increase, rainfall lags behind plants’ water needs so people tend to crank up their irrigation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Lens, which lags just one point behind Paris Saint-Germain in the French league standings, had previously met Toulouse on Friday in Ligue 1, with the northern side coming out on top 3-2 after going two goals down.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Russia still lags well behind the West — and China — in overall ship numbers, and its navy has suffered serious setbacks in the Black Sea at the hands of Ukraine, including the sinking of the fleet’s flagship.
—Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lags
Verb
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It's become the default mode of governing for majorities in Congress as bipartisanship on major issues fades away.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Come evening, the pizza oven glows or a local farm-to-table chef cooks as the light fades.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frey vetoed the ordinance, arguing that an eviction pause does not actually provide relief and only delays an inevitable problem.—
Aki Nace,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The plan also maintains full scope Medi-Cal for asylees and other immigrant groups who were cut out of Medicaid by the federal government and delays Medi-Cal premiums for undocumented immigrants that would otherwise begin on July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2028.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The United Nations Development Programme reports that higher energy prices, disrupted food systems, and economic slowdowns triggered by the war could push up to thirty-two million people globally into poverty.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Beijing has been somewhat insulated from the conflict’s fallout thanks to its oil stockpile and aggressive push for renewables, but experts say it could be squeezed as a result of slowdowns in its key export markets.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Expanding nonmedical exemptions, however, weakens the very protections those medically vulnerable children depend on.—
Sarah Marsicek,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Critics say allowing the department to delay or sideline state investigations weakens one of the last independent checks on government lawyers.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The threat of death always lingers – just ask my wooden stairs.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The Panama Canal is experiencing an uptick in traffic and generating more lucrative bids to transit the trade artery, aligning with a spike in demand for its reservation system as the Iran war lingers and uncertainty persists regarding the safety of the Strait of Hormuz.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The roof flakes, the porch sags.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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Their constant companion in the campaign is the Amazona 180 bag that made its debut on the Loewe runway last October, a slouchy, one-handle style that sags open when left unzipped.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Work fewer than 35 years and the SSA plugs zeros into the missing slots, which drags your benefit down.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lags. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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