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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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

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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
Hawn, once again, wore something black and bedazzled, slipping into a glittery gown that featured a figure-hugging silhouette, floor-grazing skirt, sheer halter neckline, and matching opera gloves. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026 For Batalon, slipping back into the moment with Holland felt effortless. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
The law replaces the old permission-slip regime with a straightforward licensure process that still requires hospitals to treat Medicaid patients and provide comparable charity care. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 The marina also offers boat slips, bait and tackle, and experienced guides for visitors hoping to reel in a catch of the day. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 29 July 2026 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. strip
  8. mistake
Verb
  • Such is the fate that befalls Meta, whose shares fell as much as 10% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the company missed earnings due to costs ballooning 55% (Meta’s stock later recovered some ground and was down 7%).
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • Rain fell early Thursday in the city of Bordeaux to the east.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • Pochettino was hired in 2024 to right the ship after the men's team stumbled in a crucial tournament in the run-up to this summer's World Cup.
    — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Facebook stumbled out of the gate and trended lower for months before bottoming at less than half its IPO price.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Most recently, Hadid seemingly snuck a photo of Cooper in a July Instagram carousel.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • No matter where his assistant coaches went while at Alabama, former coach Nick Saban always had a watchful eye on his staff members who would sneak out of the office for a round of golf.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • The Sixers now lurk as arguably the biggest threat in the East to the Knicks' chances of defending their title.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • But amid the crooning local singers and walks down memory lane, trouble lurks.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • After Klee announced his death on July 25, tributes flowed on social media for the little dog whose cancer diagnosis was revealed in May.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Quixotic aerialists twisted, turned and unfolded above the crowd, using flowing fabric and butterfly-inspired movements to mirror the creatures being celebrated.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Newly filed city documents shed light on the potential for new housing in Crown Center as it’s poised to transform into a Royals ballpark district.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • This is, as a nature documentary playing in the background during a scene suggests, his equivalent of a spider molting, shedding its old exoskeleton to hopefully emerge — stronger and more resilient — into adulthood.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Definition of shed
Noun
  • But the film overflows with childlike wonder, a comic-strip dream of girls next door and nerdy weirdoes growing muscles with puberty.
    — Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In February, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport switched to electronic flight strips.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of strip
Noun
  • Our work shows that expressive cues appear to shift how people perceive a mistake out of the category of technical malfunction and into the category of social violation, like those that happen between people.
    — Yigit Topoglu, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But according to rocket scientists at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), slamming a nuclear warhead directly into the side of a space rock is a rookie mistake.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistake

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 6 Aug. 2026.

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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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