The term 'loses one's balance' can be expressed in two different ways in a crossword puzzle. The first is 'spends' which is a six letter word and the second is 'slips' which is a five letter word. Both words refer to the act of losing one's balance, either by spending too much time or energy on something or by slipping and falling. In either case, the result is the same: an individual has lost their balance and is now off-balance.