diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/20603-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/20603-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d64b4f6c9001
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/20603-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+``LassoSelector.onpress`` and ``LassoSelector.onrelease``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+... are deprecated (they are straight aliases for ``press`` and ``release``).
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
index e7deb9ad5973..674426448003 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
@@ -3061,6 +3061,7 @@ def __init__(self, ax, onselect=None, useblit=True, lineprops=None,
         self.ax.add_line(self.line)
         self.artists = [self.line]
 
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="press")
     def onpress(self, event):
         self.press(event)
 
@@ -3068,6 +3069,7 @@ def _press(self, event):
         self.verts = [self._get_data(event)]
         self.line.set_visible(True)
 
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="release")
     def onrelease(self, event):
         self.release(event)
 
@@ -3083,9 +3085,7 @@ def _onmove(self, event):
         if self.verts is None:
             return
         self.verts.append(self._get_data(event))
-
         self.line.set_data(list(zip(*self.verts)))
-
         self.update()