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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
An eight-foot birdie look on the 7th then slipped past the cup. —Jack Milko, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025 Throw on wide-leg jeans and a button-down, slip these on, and be on your merry way. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 30 May 2025
Noun
Jennifer Lopez says divorce from Ben Affleck was 'probably the hardest time of my life' The photos, which are not watermarked and show Lopez in an old Hollywood-style fur coat and white slip dress, remain up on her Instagram. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 21 May 2025 The photos, which as of Tuesday remained on her Instagram and X with no visible watermark, show her in white fur coat and slip dress, clutching a Chanel purse. —Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025 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. sag
  8. trip
Verb
  • Disproportionate burden of care Traditionally, child care and household duties fall squarely on mothers.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 June 2025
  • Heavy rain is falling across the Kansas City area, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for parts of the metro.
    — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Definition of fall
Verb
  • On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025
  • While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • But eventually, the neighbor realized Mystery had been sneaking out against his wishes, as Mystery is an indoor cat only.
    — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
  • The Pacers, meanwhile, have solidified themselves as title contenders after sneaking their way into the conference finals last year.
    — Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 27 May 2025
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Supermassive black holes lurk all throughout the known universe, but catching one in the act of devouring its cosmic dinner doesn't happen all that often.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • In this regard, another early-20th-century influence besides Bulgakov lurks in The Stolen Heart: Mykola Khvylovy.
    — Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Salivary Blockages Blockages or obstructions to the salivary glands may also cause mouth dryness because saliva doesn't flow as easily to the mouth.10 7.
    — Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 6 June 2025
  • The real threat to the fiscal well-being of the median American comes from the price of energy, from which all other prices flow.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Definition of flow
Verb
  • And what will perhaps be the grossest installment promises to shed new light on the chaos that arose on a Carnival Triumph cruise ship in 2013.
    — Bailey Richards, People.com, 3 June 2025
  • This invisible crisis is an area where more focus should be directed to shed light on ways to address this issue and mitigate loneliness.
    — Our Place, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Definition of shed
Verb
  • If tariffs are still unresolved by then, small business hiring may continue to sag.
    — Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • Nintendo is counting on the Switch 2 to boost sagging sales.
    — Ayaka Mcgill, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Definition of sag
Verb
  • There’s never been any danger that Christopher McQuarrie would trip, fall, and accidentally make Barry Lyndon.
    — Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
  • Piper Niven tripped Vega while Green was distracting the referee before Raw went to break.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of trip

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 10 Jun. 2025.

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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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