slips through the cracks
Escapes notice unintentionally
Something that slips through the cracks goes unnoticed or unaddressed, usually because it falls between areas of responsibility or attention.
The image is of small items escaping through gaps in floorboards.
Often describes people or problems that bureaucratic systems fail to catch: Some at-risk kids slip through the cracks and never get the help they need.
- gapUnfilled space between
- overlookMiss or commanding view
- under the radarUndetected by scrutiny
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- loopholeExploitable gap in rules
loss · blind spot · missed signal · disregard · monitoring · lapse · human error · inattention · dropped ball · checks and balances · tracking systems · accountability · vigilance · left behind · bypass · lost in the shuffle · omit · neglect
slipped, slipping, slipper, slippers, slippage, slippery, through, throughout, thorough