lapse into
phrasal verb
lapsed into; lapsing into; lapses into
1
: 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.
2
: 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
The bill will automatically lapse into law after 30 days unless Adams vetoes it.
—
Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
While the submarine crew grows restive and their captain lapses into a state of permanent inebriation, across three continents, politics roll on.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
The conflict, while not resolved, had lapsed into a relatively static conflict in recent years.
—Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
By the end of the six-episode season, this narrative has lapsed into mawkishness, despite strong performances from Gilpin (who’s made a career on blending grit with vulnerability) and Kitsch, a perennially underrated actor who broke out in Berg’s Friday Night Lights.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lapse into 
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Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
While the submarine crew grows restive and their captain lapses into a state of permanent inebriation, across three continents, politics roll on.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
The conflict, while not resolved, had lapsed into a relatively static conflict in recent years.
—Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
By the end of the six-episode season, this narrative has lapsed into mawkishness, despite strong performances from Gilpin (who’s made a career on blending grit with vulnerability) and Kitsch, a perennially underrated actor who broke out in Berg’s Friday Night Lights.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lapse into
Dictionary Entries Near lapse into
Cite this Entry
“Lapse into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapse%20into. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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