lapse into

phrasal verb

lapsed into; lapsing into; lapses into

: to begin using or doing (something that should be avoided) for a short period of time

He's a good writer, but he occasionally lapses into jargon.

: to begin to be in (a worse or less active state or condition)

The crowd lapsed into silence.

The patient lapsed into a coma.

The society lapsed into decline.

Examples of lapse into in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

The war in Syria, while not officially ended, had lapsed into a relatively static conflict in recent years. —

Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 But despite hints of humor and sensuality, this adaptation can sometimes lapse into the reverent formality of a Masterpiece miniseries. —

Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Dec. 2024 From rickshaw men to state ministers, Chinese citizens lapsed into despair. —

Dan Xin Huang, Foreign Affairs, 3 May 2019 The jumps back and forth in time prevent the story from lapsing into a maudlin, by-the-numbers recovery story. —

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lapse into