Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for shoelace. Search instead for shoelaces.
Synonyms

shoelace

American  
[shoo-leys] / ˈʃuˌleɪs /

noun

  1. a string or lace for fastening a shoe.

shoelace British  
/ ˈʃuːˌleɪs /

noun

  1. a cord or lace for fastening shoes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shoelace

First recorded in 1640–50; shoe + lace

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.

Accessories—anything from shoelace charms to glitter freckles to decor for your decor—give consumers ways to update their look and express themselves at a fraction of the cost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

When the song ends, the band spend several minutes chaotically ad libbing to the crowd as Rosé struggles to tie an errant shoelace.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

Yamamoto gave up his only run after a minor wardrobe malfunction — a broken shoelace that he returned to the dugout to replace — caused a delay before the start of the second inning.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2024

Nandakumar says to think of chromosomes as a shoelace.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2024

The business plan for a community development nonprofit is nestled in my carry-on briefcase, alongside a photo of that sneaker and its jumble of shoelace.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.