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.
But the CBP had said in a court filing this week that the pause had lapsed on September 30 and work would soon resume.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
“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
Interviewed on a Zambian YouTube news channel on Wednesday evening, Lungu family spokesman Makebi Zulu disputed that the appeals process had lapsed saying that the correct procedure had been followed.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
For 15 minutes, mother and daughter spoke as if no time had lapsed between them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
It had started over dinner, and by the time he’d gone to bed his parents had lapsed into a stony, stubborn silence.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
