lapse
noun
an accidental or temporary decline or deviation from an expected or accepted condition or state; a temporary falling or slipping from a previous standard.
had lapsed
-
past perfectof lapse.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
“There was an opportunity to win back customers who had lapsed over the course of many years,” said Kaminetsky, who is 47 years old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
He suggested the country would charge ships crossing the key passage after the 60-day period in the agreement had lapsed.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
For 15 minutes, mother and daughter spoke as if no time had lapsed between them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
Mr. Oe also had a quarrel with Japanese society, arguing that, after 25 years of democracy and intellectual ferment following the war, the country had lapsed into a trough of conformity.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
Meanwhile Mrs. Huckaby, the woman I considered to be somewhat near fair and rational about the whole situation, had lapsed back into her attitude of trying to convince me there was nothing going on.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
