slips 1 of 3

Definition of slipsnext
present tense third-person singular of slip
1
2
3
as in sneaks
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way casually slipped it into the conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
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6
as in sheds
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside periodically crabs slip their shells and grow new ones

Synonyms & Similar Words

slips

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of slip
as in strips
a long narrow piece of material baskets woven from slips of wicker

Synonyms & Similar Words

slips

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of slip
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2
as in spills
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily had a nasty slip on the ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4

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 slips
Verb
After one of Javadi's patients slips through the cracks, Dana calls in an old friend with experience running a low-tech ER. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 The Pleiades are at their most spectacular from October to March, after which the cluster slips ever lower in the spring sky, appearing closer to the horizon with each passing night. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026 Obergfell also slips literary connections into the mix, starting with the title of show (which is also the title of the chessboard piece). Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026 Though it has been called a documentary, the film frequently slips into scenes using actors to portray key moments in Cucinelli’s life. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026 Brownwood slips past Godley Brownwood’s Aiden Jimenez broke a 0-0 tie with the game’s only goal, off an assist from Raven Prado, as the Lions earned a 1-0 win over Godley in a Class 4A Division 2 bi-district match on Friday at Briles Stadium in Stephenville. Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026 If a payment slips from 30 days to 60 or 90 days late, your credit score can drop accordingly. Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026 No matter how firmly the film tries to grab hold of you and offer something profound amidst the absurdity of the situation, any such meaning eventually slips through the dwindling number of fingers that the film, as well as its characters, have left. Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026 Doja’s assistant slips through, gives me the thumbs-up, and ushers me into a dressing room the size of a tennis court, black velvet curtains concealing the walls. Liam Hess, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
The Escape Hybrid slips by in the shadow of rivals in part because of an early engine fire recall, but also because of the discontinuation of the model at the end of this model year. Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026 Something that reflects how Dan Fogelman’s show is no longer behaving like a straightforward postapocalypse story and how this season’s narrative slips and slides through the timeline, increasingly shortchanging the series creator’s innate preference for sincerity. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026 The city wants to put in another restaurant and reduce the number of slips to 17. U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026 After 12 games, a few dozen slips and one injury over three days, the Big 12 Conference Tournament employees were scrambling late Thursday — err, early Friday — for their busiest hours yet. Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026 For the ladies, Kamara tapped the sexiness of Betty’s onstage lingerie outfits, with nylon slips featuring bright neon trim and polka dots, creating rhythm and disruption amid the sharp tailoring and long-legged silhouettes with strong shoulders. Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026 The addition of mustard greens and a few slips of chili oil provide a sharpness to the beefy bonanza. Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026 Lovimag Strong Magnetic Hooks 12-pack On a cruise, paper seems to multiply overnight—from daily activity schedules to reservation slips and excursion details. Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026 The humanoid is also seen performing controlled forward slips before smoothly getting back on its feet with movements that closely resemble human motion. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slips
Verb
  • Support falls somewhat, to 70%, among non-MAGA Republicans.
    Anne Bryson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Payton’s falls short of Chamberlain Gary Payton II had a chance to equal the feat of one of the game’s greatest players on Friday.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Bleeding heavily, Waaler stumbles into a corridor and slowly takes his last breath as Hole, who jumped out at the floor above and ran back downstairs, watches, gun in hand.
    K.J. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
  • If the student stumbles, the AI agent gives them clues, along with criticism and positive feedback.
    Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Ortiz sneaks field recordings and samples into these songs, too—each adding texture to the universe of her songs and evoking the wider world that exists just outside the frame of her narration.
    Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
  • But some sunlight still sneaks through Earth’s atmosphere, bends around the planet and lands on the moon.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When a strange man lurks around the school asking supposedly innocent questions and the principal receives a severed human finger in the mail, the community is in an uproar.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Binary neutron stars have long been considered the best bet for deciphering what lurks within.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Roughly 20% of crude and natural gas normally flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains all but closed to oil tankers and other shipping traffic because of the war.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • An estimated 9,000 gallons reached the San Diego River, which flows past Dog Beach.
    Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But in this reimagining of their world, Claire sheds new light on who suffers, and who succeeds.
    Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Wave Life Sciences sheds half its value on underwhelming obesity results.
    Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The roof flakes, the porch sags.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Their constant companion in the campaign is the Amazona 180 bag that made its debut on the Loewe runway last October, a slouchy, one-handle style that sags open when left unzipped.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Nor is the scene in which Cory trips on mushrooms on Hollywood Boulevard (which is probably true of half the people walking there).
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
  • That's honestly great news for tailors and anyone who regularly trips over their own feet.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slips.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slips. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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