memory lapse

noun

: a period of time when a person forgets things that he or she should have remembered

As he grew older he began to have memory lapses.

Examples of memory lapse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Forgetting—Trump’s own memory lapses, and those of the broader electorate—is one of the former President’s political superpowers. —

Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024 This contributes to blackouts and short-term memory lapses when drinking. —

Amanda MacMillan, Health, 26 Mar. 2024 Trump, 77, has similarly experienced memory lapses, including recently confusing Biden with former President Barack Obama. —

Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 And Democrats have also pushed back, citing Donald Trump’s memory lapses. —

Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 9 Feb. 2024 Advertisement Trump, who turns 78 in June, is the second-oldest candidate ever to seek the White House and suffers his share of memory lapses and discombobulated moments, like confusing Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi. —

Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Do memory lapses and losses in older age always indicate underlying conditions? —

Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 9 Feb. 2024 Similarly, the Beckhams have unlikely memory lapses in the ad. —

Steve Mollman, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 Biden didn’t bring up Hur’s description of his memory lapses. —

Brian Bennett, TIME, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'memory lapse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.