slip 1 of 3

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as in to sneak
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way casually slipped it into the conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner slipped behind the cover of the trees

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to shed
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside periodically crabs slip their shells and grow new ones

Synonyms & Similar Words

slip

2 of 3

noun (1)

as in strip
a long narrow piece of material baskets woven from slips of wicker

Synonyms & Similar Words

slip

3 of 3

noun (2)

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as in fall
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily had a nasty slip on the ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
That’s also true of the stories to which White is drawn, resulting in uneven performances (Isaacs’ Southern accent sometimes slips into an Australian accent). Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025 Its follow-up, the group’s second full-length, declines even further, slipping from No. 21 to No. 33. Follow me on Twitter. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
Sneakers optional, but encouraged. High-Low Perfection: Throw it over a satin slip dress to balance the grit with some softness. Glamour, 31 Jan. 2025 In the performance department, the GV80 has an electronic limited slip differential in the rear axle assembly for a more advanced all wheel drive traction control system. Tony Leopardo, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slip
Verb
  • Although platforms can rise and fall faster than the tiny-eyeglasses fashion trend, the principles of good marketing stand the test of time.
    Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The market also soured on Salesforce, which fell 4% despite topping analysts’ profit expectations for the latest quarter.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • However, the Indian stock market has stumbled recently, with the BSE 500 shedding 19% from its recent peak last September—this after climbing 14.8% in 2024 and 25.1% in 2023.
    Garth Friesen, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Those concerns came to a head during Biden's debate against now-President Donald Trump in June, when Biden sounded hoarse and appeared to stumble through several answers.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • As Christina has a conversation with her competition outside of their property’s garage, Lange sneaks into the house and records each room, picking up a few souvenirs along the way.
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The president was on his balcony, smoking a cigarette and reading the tablet, when Trent, wearing the excavation uniform, snuck up and hit him with a heavy drill bit from the library’s display case; Cal dropped the tablet in the hedges below.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Berlin is a city in a nearly hysterical hunt for secret Nazis believed to be lurking in the shadows.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Who knows what evil lurks in the inner computational and mathematical structures of generative AI and LLMs?
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • But unseen, in underground pipelines that cut through vast fields of barley, flows about $5 billion annually worth of Canadian crude oil and natural gas, most of it from Alberta.
    Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Huge glaciers flow down all of its sides, reaching up to fifty miles.
    Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Curly-haired breeds, like poodles, don't shed much, but need frequent trimming.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • To confront that and try to shed yourself of it, in real time, on the page takes the bite out of a book like this.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The different firmness levels ensure that the mattress will never sag, regardless of the sleeper’s body type.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Finally, King notes, check the basement or crawlspace for damp areas, standing water, mold, or sagging floor joists.
    Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Lamine Yamal caught up with him, bumped into him and tripped the centre back to the ground.
    Laia Cervelló Herrero, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Colorado dropped 13 games in a row to open the conference season before tripping UCF.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slip. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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