elapse
verb (used without object)
(of time) to slip or pass by.
elapsed
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past participleof elapse.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof elapse.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
elapseverb (used without object)(of time) to slip or pass by.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
IHR said Mohammadi had 20 days to appeal under the law but warned there had in the past been cases of people being executed before this period elapsed.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
By the time the agents shoved me into that unmarked SUV, three minutes and 30 seconds had elapsed.
From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2026
About half that time has now elapsed, with United travelling to play Atletico in the Champions League last 16 on Thursday, 12 February and hosting the second leg seven days later.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
Marquee values for the E-Ray include an official 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.5 seconds and a ¼-mile elapsed time of 10.5 seconds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
About seven thousand years elapsed between the dawn of the Middle Eastern Neolithic and the establishment of Sumer.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
