slips 1 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of slip
1
as in falls
to decline gradually from a standard level the store's quality of service began to slip after the new owners took over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in lurks
to move about in a sly or secret manner slipped behind the cover of the trees

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in flows
to move or proceed smoothly and readily jumped into the car and slipped behind the wheel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

slips

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of slip
as in strips
a long narrow piece of material baskets woven from slips of wicker

Synonyms & Similar Words

slips

3 of 3

noun (2)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in escapes
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement gave her pursuers the slip

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 slips
Verb
At one point, Musashi slips on mud and slides headfirst through a crowd of Samurai. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 Lunar eclipses occur when Earth slips between the sun and the moon and casts a shadow on the lunar surface. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 The compact neck pillow unfolds and slips into its own convenient bag. — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026 But there are occasions where the error slips through without the therapist noticing. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 So, the challenge for Cline right now, as Outer Banks slips into the back row of Netflix’s library, is to make sure people continue staring at her. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 As the United States slips further into a debt hole, investors are demanding greater compensation for the risk of lending to the government. — Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 The transmission slips while driving Slipping happens when your transmission unexpectedly changes gears or the engine revs without an increase in speed. — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 That uncertainty extends to the film itself, which slips between psychological drama, comedy and magical realism without settling comfortably into any of them. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
Over the years, the couple filled the box with slips of paper wishing to have healthy, successful kids, Reddington said as Lindsay Clancy wiped away tears. — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026 Among roofers, falls, slips and trips accounted for 83 of 104 deaths. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Classic tees for effortless layering, elegant slips for summer’s heat, statement skirts for a touch of drama, and playful outerwear for the season ahead. — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026 Have each family member jot down a few happy thoughts, jokes, or silly notes on small slips of paper and place them in the jar. — Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026 Regularly cleaning out backpacks also can help reduce unnecessary weight and keep track of notes, permission slips and assignments. — Cheyanne Mumphrey, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 The harbor also has about 890 rental slips and more slips for guest boaters and others who may purchase ice, Ravitch said. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 Guests explored the garden grounds, seeing energetic performances by Fushu Daiko taiko drummers, and write tribute messages on paper slips at the altar of museum founder George Morikami. — Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026 If slips and slinky silk camis aren’t exactly your vibe, pajama separates and loungewear prove both comfortable and chic. — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slips
  1. falls
  2. stumbles
  3. sneaks
  4. lurks
  5. flows
  6. sheds
  7. strips
  8. mistakes
Verb
  • When Cantu reaches towards Lopez and screams his wife’s name, a shot rings out and Lopez falls slightly off camera.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than extra long hair, think of a cut that falls somewhere below the collarbone, with enough layering or movement to keep it from feeling heavy.
    — Laura Solla, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • In the movie, the two actors first cross paths when Ledger’s character stumbles upon Bettany, who is fully naked, strolling through the streets after losing his clothes and money from gambling.
    — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Shortly after, a young man stumbles towards Pat from the direction of the pub, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • The target hides in a food truck, gets on another plane, flies to England, hides on another food truck and sneaks back on Air Force One.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The film cannily tugs on the heartstrings, pulls off classic slapstick comedy and sneaks obscure film references into its visuals.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneaks
Verb
  • Enjoy this underappreciated gem—just beware the Frogman, who lurks in Stephen’s mind and on every page.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But a bigger story lurks deeper in Tuesday’s numbers that could spell trouble for Republicans in November.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurks
Verb
  • Rather than funding a single program, the donation from the Dimons flows into permanent endowments, which UNCF argues gives schools the freedom to plan for decades instead of scrambling to find donations year to year.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This force flows from a populational logic that uses statistics and algorithms to distribute the state’s violence work.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of flows
Verb
  • Authorities in Nepal have warned of further flooding after heavy rainfall, as China sheds more light on the scale of the disaster in its Tibet region.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The research sheds new light on the developing Super El Niño gathering strength in the tropical Pacific, which is forecast to become the strongest such event since at least 1950 — and potentially long before that.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of sheds
Noun
  • That includes simple double-ribbon tail lights, a delightfully unfussy side profile, and absolutely astounding headlights that somehow emanate from jewellike strips that run across the nose of the vehicle.
    — Marco Della Cava, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Sidewalk watering is more likely to happen where the sprinkler is too wide, so narrow grassy strips could be replaced with xeric landscaping or native plants, Howarth said.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of strips
Noun
  • The Tar Heels’ ability to overcome some sloppiness — and, yes, take advantage of a slew of TCU mistakes — was a positive intangible sign after Belichick’s brutal debut season and offseason.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Notice that this entire process still leans on AI to catch AI's mistakes.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistakes

Browse Nearby Words

slippy
slips
slipshod
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slips.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slips. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All