LAGS Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

lags 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lag

as in fades

to lose bodily strength or vigor during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

lags

2 of 2

noun

plural of lag

as in slowdowns

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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 lags

Verb

But foster care lags far behind in adopting the new thinking, said psychologist Karyn Harvey. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 However, the state lags in its efforts to conserve 30% of its coastal waters in the same time frame. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 Though there has been marked improvement in some areas, the state still lags behind on its commitment on finding placements, stability and providing mental health services for a certain population of children. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026 Consumption lags, local governments struggle under debt and a huge property sector crisis rumbles on. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 For all its trials and tribulations, Chicagoland retains enviable advantages vis-a-vis other metro areas, but its growth over more than a decade seriously lags many of those peer regions. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026 Wall Street is trimming targets while the sector lags the market. — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 By almost every economic measure, the East still significantly lags the West. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 But the industry lags overall due to a constitutional limit on the use of force for only its own self-defense. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lags

Verb

Community organizations spent decades cultivating wealthy baby boomer donors, and so that connection fades with each generation removed from the original donors.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
Its manganese spins continue fluctuating in preferred directions after long-range magnetic order fades.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of fades

Verb

Fat actually delays gastric emptying and digestion even more, keeping blood sugar much steadier.

— Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026
Tennis has always been highly dependent on the weather; unlike in soccer or football, rain cancels or delays a match until the court is dry enough to be playable.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of delays

Noun

The move comes amid a global shortage largely attributed to slowdowns of the passage of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
While iPhone sales increased an impressive 21% in the most recent quarter, the business has experienced significant slowdowns in recent years, with sales even declining in some quarters.

— Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of slowdowns

Verb

Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive.

— Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Research shows that people who share their goals publicly are less likely to achieve them, since talking about them creates a premature sense of accomplishment and weakens the drive to do the work.

— Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakens

Verb

If a strange new scent appears or concern lingers, Harvard Health advises talking to a doctor.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
In the scene, Simon’s family speaks Kreyòl — although to varying degrees of proficiency — and the camera lingers on the Haitian feast presented on the table.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingers

Verb

Unfortunately, using too little paint will leave patchy areas and harsh lines, and using too much paint will promote drips and paint that sags.

— Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
There is no scrapeable archive of how to grasp a wet cup, unload a box that sags in the middle, fold a towel, or help an older adult out of a chair.

— Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Definition of sags

Verb

Republicans have expressed growing pessimism about their chances in the election, which will determine control of Congress, as the president has repeatedly dismissed concerns about high costs and gas prices as his unpopular war in Iran drags on.

— MICHELLE L. PRICE, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
In it, a botched secret mission drags Eken Babu into a mystery in Kerala.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of drags

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lagoons

lags

laical

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“Lags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lags. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lags

verb

noun

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