ENGLISH
REFERENCE

slipped

v.
A2 Elementary US //ˈsɫɪpt// UK //slˈɪpt// slipped

v. to slide accidentally on a smooth or wet surface and lose your balance. It can also mean to move quietly or to make a small mistake.

v. to lose one's footing or balance by sliding; to move smoothly and quietly into or out of a place. Intransitive in its primary physical sense, though it can take a direct object in idiomatic expressions like 'slipped my mind'.


SIMPLE

He slipped on the wet floor and fell.

CONTEXTUAL

The runner slipped on the muddy track, losing several seconds as he struggled to regain his footing.

COMPLEX

As the sun began to set, the thief slipped through the shadows of the alleyway, hoping to avoid the gaze of the patrolling guards.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is usually intransitive when describing a loss of balance. When used to describe a mistake or an item moving out of place, it often takes the preposition 'up' or 'out'.

Pitfall

I slipped the wet floorI slipped on the wet floorSlipped is intransitive when referring to losing balance; it requires the preposition 'on' to connect to the surface.

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