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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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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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
Australia maintained its position at the top of the current standings, while the Proteas slipped to third after the defeat in Durban. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Working from a plus-size model’s body as her starting point for pattern-making, silhouettes were subsequently distorted, creating a second layer that appeared to slip and warp around the body. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
Instead, it’s comprised of five—Sani Beach, Sani Asterias, Porto Sani, Sani Dunes, and Sani Club—stretched out across a slip of sandy beach backed by pine forests on the northwestern Aegean. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 Jennifer Lawrence and an InStyle fashion editor are fans of the comfortable slip-ons, too. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 12 Oct. 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
  • But the opening period didn’t end without a scary moment, as Antetokounmpo fell hard on his back side after being fouled on a dunk attempt late in the first quarter.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Shares of Oracle fell about 9% amid a broader downturn for stocks of top AI stakeholders.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • Resendiz finished strongly, sending Mazoudier stumbling backward in the final minute.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • But, the heartbreak would come sneaking around the bend over what might be the wildest 20 seconds of recent Big Ten memory, thanks to the insane final few minutes.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The basics include covering vents with mesh so embers can’t sneak in and ensuring every window and door is closed.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • An amateur astronomer harnessed artificial intelligence agents to find a previously undiscovered exoplanet lurking in publicly available data.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But trouble lurked in a left-field box seat — and at shortstop.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The program could also be targeted rather than universal — triggered by sector-specific unemployment spikes, income level, or geography, so the money flows first to the workers AI disrupts most.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Simmons said investigators found clothing passengers had shed to cool off and claw marks on the trailer's walls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • On Tuesday, however, oil pulled back slightly, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures shedding more than 1% to around $102 per barrel and Brent crude futures declining more than 2% to around $106.
    — Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of shed
Noun
  • Writing strips out the reactive tone that damages trust and forces people to engage with the actual argument instead of the way it was said.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Both naloxone and fentanyl test strips decrease the risk of fatal overdose.
    — Joshua Barocas, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of strip
Noun
  • In Kundassery’s view, the Democratic Party had made a critical mistake in the first few months of 2025.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • To keep errors in check, each graph is shown to multiple volunteers, and their answers are combined so that individual mistakes average out, according to the project's website.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slip

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slip

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