ELAPSE Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

elapse

verb

i-ˈlaps

Definition of elapse

as in to expire

to come to an end in those coin-operated binoculars at scenic areas your viewing time seems to elapse almost before it has begun

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 elapse From the time of the first impact until the last plane crashed, only 77 minutes elapsed from the time the first plane struck the first World Trade Center building until the last plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. — John M. Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2026 Average goal value comes alongside that, which is calculated with the percentage of time elapsed within the game and the type of game state-changing goal scored. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 This week, a sixty-day deadline for the United States and Iran to resolve larger differences—set in June as part of an earlier memorandum of understanding—elapsed with little fanfare. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2026 Another 12-plus hours elapsed until Reed received the official notice to evacuate. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elapse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elapse

Verb

Her status as a special envoy expired last month without renewal, and she has now been moved to another role.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
With a pending lockout, expiring player contracts and possible retirements, who knows what the future will hold.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of expire

Verb

That has left many companies unable to stop the theft of American IP and made investment riskier.

— Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Project Nessie was intended to stop retail price-matching practices from creating unsustainably low prices, the e-commerce giant said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of stop

Verb

The second was collapsing supermassive stars, which end their lives as supernovae.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
But little progress has been made towards implementing a deal to end the conflict that includes terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.

— Reuters, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of end

Verb

And Gartner estimates that 80% of neocloud providers will cease independent operations by 2030 because their revenues won’t cover their outgoings.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Research firm Gartner published a report on Wednesday forecasting that over 80% of neocloud providers will cease operations by 2030, due to costs and lack of a unique business model.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of cease

Verb

Both the United States and a United Nations investigation concluded that the shootdown happened over international waters.

— Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
The arrest, the official explained, came after the Attorney General’s Office concluded that there had been misconduct in an April operation in which state officials dismantled a clandestine drug-manufacturing laboratory.

— Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of conclude

Verb

Another Supreme Court case made injunctions — the court orders that companies historically relied on to halt patent infringement — significantly harder to secure.

— Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Previous Ebola outbreaks were marked by allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds, which experts said have contributed to the mistrust of local communities, complicating the efforts to halt the spread.

— Monika Pronczuk, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of halt

Verb

Both could have been considered lapsed Catholics, disillusioned with the church’s position on homosexuality and its insistence that divorcees get an annulment before remarriage.

— Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
On August 1, 2025, the day after the lease lapsed, Cathy and Salvatore sued for possession of their home in Manhattan housing court.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lapse

Verb

Grid current passes through silicon carbide transistors that switch at high frequency before sending it through a small conventional transformer, preserving the essential electrical isolation between the grid and everything downstream.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Those who could passed the task on to domestic workers or commercial laundries.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of pass

Browse Nearby Words

élan vital

elapse

elapsed

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Style

“Elapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elapse. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of elapse

verb

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