as in slow
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the lagging pace of work on the project was worrisome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
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 lagging
Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
So while America is most likely still a highly desirable place for all kinds of investors, from the average person putting money into a 401(k) to a professional trader, the lagging performance this year is more than your typical year.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
Layer on infrastructure costs, amortization, new storage mandates, refinery retrofits for changing crude blends and the lagging effects of the LCFS credit.
—Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Metrics That Predict, Not Report The lagging nature of HR’s metrics compounds the problem.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Reporting is inconsistent and lagging.
—Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Senate Republicans are lagging behind.
—Michael Van Sickler, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
However, federal data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
This season, however, the payments are lagging behind for at least some schools, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 9 Feb. 2026
The beverage company's concentrate sales in North America rose just 1% - significantly lagging every other region around the world.
—Sean Conlon,sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Ryan is among the many new faces organizations brought in across the league to help either rebuild lagging franchises or get talented ones over the hump.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Those former employees painted a picture of a company lagging behind Big Tech rivals Google, Microsoft, and Meta in the race to deploy AI chatbots and agents, and struggling to catch up.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Kurt's key takeaways AI chat apps are moving fast, but security is still lagging behind.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The lagging percentage of women film directors last year is a clear sign that the industry is going backward, said Kirsten Schaffer, chief executive of WIF, which advocates for women in Hollywood.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
So while America is most likely still a highly desirable place for all kinds of investors, from the average person putting money into a 401(k) to a professional trader, the lagging performance this year is more than your typical year.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
Layer on infrastructure costs, amortization, new storage mandates, refinery retrofits for changing crude blends and the lagging effects of the LCFS credit.
—Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Metrics That Predict, Not Report The lagging nature of HR’s metrics compounds the problem.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Reporting is inconsistent and lagging.
—Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Verb
But funding, construction, and teacher hiring may be lagging behind the goal.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Senate Republicans are lagging behind.
—Michael Van Sickler, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
However, federal data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
This season, however, the payments are lagging behind for at least some schools, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 9 Feb. 2026
The beverage company's concentrate sales in North America rose just 1% - significantly lagging every other region around the world.
—Sean Conlon,sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Ryan is among the many new faces organizations brought in across the league to help either rebuild lagging franchises or get talented ones over the hump.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Those former employees painted a picture of a company lagging behind Big Tech rivals Google, Microsoft, and Meta in the race to deploy AI chatbots and agents, and struggling to catch up.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Kurt's key takeaways AI chat apps are moving fast, but security is still lagging behind.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging
Adjective
-
That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.—
Abha Bhattarai,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the crushing depths of the ocean or the vacuum of deep space, one of the key threats to technology is the fading battery.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Amid the recent furore, that trust and respect seem to be all but fading.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bushman, who was posted with the CDC, got a medical waiver delaying her deployment on account of stress and grief.—
Amy Maxmen,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
-
His company has mitigated tariff expenses by delaying store expansion and purchasing roasting equipment before the tariffs went into effect.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That's because for many in Lahore, kite flying isn't a leisurely pastime.—
Betsy Joles,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
-
From leisurely barbecues to scenic boat rides, winter skiing to a ride on the thrilling summer mountain coaster, this lake is a hub of activity and Swiss charm.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But the big problem is why the dollar is weakening.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Nevertheless, proponents of the theory have suggested without evidence that the substation’s electromagnetic fields could be damaging players’ soft tissues and weakening their tendons.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Experts point to restricted access to advanced chips and limited capital as lingering constraints.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Women generally receive fewer advanced therapies for PE, like thrombectomy (a procedure to pluck out a clot), and end up with more bleeding complications and a higher rate of lingering issues, like clumps of scar tissue in arteries that can increase blood pressure.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Body oils can help tighten the look of mildly sagging or crepey skin by improving hydration and overall skin health.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
5 Feb. 2026
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Also, to watch for sagging ridgelines, drooping ceilings, water leaks on interior walls and ceilings, jammed doors, cracked interior walls near the center of the home and creaking sounds, according to State Farm.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s dragging his own name and America’s name in the muck.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Their misery was compounded by Szoboszlai’s dismissal for dragging back Erling Haaland deep into stoppage time when the net was gaping, with goalkeeper Alisson marooned upfield.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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