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
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.
As Leon’s production toils blandly along, Washington employs a light, high delivery, lapsing into vagueness and singsong. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025 Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in honor of the movie's 30th anniversary,director Pete Segal recalls the late Farley entertaining himself by lapsing into impressions of his hero, fellow Saturday Night Live legend John Belushi. Mike Miller, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025 Owen lapsed into a coma and died a few hours later. Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025 The bill will automatically lapse into law after 30 days unless Adams vetoes it. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lapse into

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Cite this Entry

“Lapse into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapse%20into. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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