lapsenoun
uk/læps/us/læps/lapse noun (FAILURE)
[ C ] a temporary failure:
a lapse of concentration
The management's decision to ignore the safety warnings demonstrated a remarkable lapse of judgment.
a memory lapse
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Faults and mistakes
- a blot on sb's character idiom
- aberration
- Achilles heel
- adrift
- black mark
- chink
- clinker
- creep in/creep into sth
- errata
- erratum
- error
- failing
- false alarm
- false move
- irregularity
- loophole
- misprint
- misspell
- mistake
- mistaken
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lapse noun (PERIOD)
[ C usually singular ] a period of time passing between two things happening:
a time lapse/a lapse of time
He turned up again after a lapse of two years.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Pauses & interludes
- abeyance
- adjourn
- break
- break-journey
- caesura
- coffee break
- comfort stop
- hiatus
- interlude
- intermission
- interval
- lull
- moratorium
- pause
- postpone
- respite
- stop
- stoppage
- suspension
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lapseverb [ I ]
uk/læps/us/læps/to end legally or officially by not being continued or made effective for a longer period:
The association needs to win back former members who have allowed their subscriptions to lapse.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Coming to an end
- come off
- come off sth
- come out
- come to a full stop idiom
- come to a head idiom
- come to sth
- come to the end of the road idiom
- dry up
- fizzle
- go out (of) the window idiom
- head
- land
- land up
- let
- let up
- peter
- peter out
- road
- run
- wind up
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Phrasal verb(s)
lapse into sth