as in slow
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the lagging pace of work on the project was worrisome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lagging
Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Metrics That Predict, Not Report The lagging nature of HR’s metrics compounds the problem.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Alex Harris
updated September 28, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
The new developments come as the city of Sacramento is lagging behind its housing goals.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2025
If your internet keeps lagging, buffering or dropping out, one of the quickest fixes is restarting your router.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
But the savings provided by AI and companies’ ability to generate additional revenue from AI is lagging behind that pace.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Who’s moving fast, who’s lagging Steel decarbonization is uneven worldwide.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
Smile And Watch Tips Flow Profits are a lagging indicator of customer satisfaction.
—Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Its drawbacks, like slightly lagging performance and a heavier-than-expected carry weight, are worth noting but don’t spoil the package.
—Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
Wilson acknowledges ongoing risks from lagging labor indicators, but contends that the worst of the economic pain is now behind.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Layer on infrastructure costs, amortization, new storage mandates, refinery retrofits for changing crude blends and the lagging effects of the LCFS credit.
—Verb
But if those lagging rain bands arrive, some isolated spots could see up to four inches of rain.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging
Adjective
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The slow start that Mayfield is alluding to has to do with the Buccaneers only scoring two field goals through the first half, and scoring their first touchdown well into the third quarter.—
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Construction in the section of Jackson Park, often described as Chicago’s equivalent of Central Park, has been slow.—
Verb
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Lingering bullishness The hype around European stocks might be fading, but most investors — as noted in BofA's survey findings — seem to be pricing in further upside.—
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The filmmaker, whose most recent feature, The Last Showgirl, depicted Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis as fading showgirls on the Las Vegas Strip, is serving on the Spanish film fest’s official jury this year.—
Verb
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Host Jimmy Kimmel milked the moment, delaying confirming that their answer was correct for a very tense minute.—
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Boys may experience greater benefits from delaying their start date compared to girls, said Ioakim Boutakidis, professor of child and adolescent studies at Cal State Fullerton.—
Adjective
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Drip coffee and pour-overs are closest to the leisurely style enjoyed in Ethiopia, whereas Italian espresso culture was designed to create a more rapid approach.—
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Bedoya said the residence is dubbed Asolare, which in Italian means to pass time in a delightful, leisurely way.—
Verb
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As a major ally to China, South Africa recently intensified pressure to move the embassy in July ahead of another meeting in November that Xi is expected to attend—attempting to signal that South Africa was weakening ties with Taiwan, as China had demanded.—
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The economy has slowed, weakening the labor market and forcing the Federal Reserve last week to trim its benchmark short-term interest rate by a quarter percentage point as inflation edges up and amid ongoing tariff uncertainty.—
Verb
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Violet Affleck, the eldest daughter of A-listers Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, is sounding the alarm on the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
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Repressed and lingering scars from childhood can certainly cause pain for entire communities and be a catalyst for terrible and reprehensible behaviors.—
Verb
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The budget negotiations mark the latest step in the city’s financial crisis, which was caused in large part by sagging sales tax revenue and growing expenses.—
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Market breadth was soft, the median stock sagging a bit but still in for a decent week.—
Verb
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The Department of Homeland Security has said Villegas González drove his car toward officers, dragging one before the agent opened fire.—
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Brussels is facing criticism over dragging its feet in the enforcement of its digital rulebook, especially its investigation into Elon Musk’s X platform.—
Cite this Entry
“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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