sleep 1 of 2

Definition of sleepnext

sleep

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rest
to be in a state of sleep the baby slept for the entire length of the car trip found the night watchman sleeping at his post

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to breed
to engage in sexual intercourse if I don't read the tabloids, how will I know who is sleeping with whom this week?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sleep
Noun
Make sure at least one of your movement days is a lower lift and prioritize getting enough quality sleep to help your muscles recover. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 20 Mar. 2026 Her body’s stress response system has been running so long and hard that sleep itself has become less effective. Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Improvements in body composition, strength, endurance, sleep quality and energy levels are all signs that your body is moving in the right direction. Fred Sassani, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026 Nobody slept, one participant recalled. Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleep
Noun
  • As of Wednesday, fans can request to book a stay at the 5-bathroom home — whose exact location will be provided upon booking — boasts 5 beds across four bedrooms.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
  • After pushing Doe onto the bed for a third time, Declyn allegedly held her down while Doe asked to be let up.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • MacEgan family speaks in court Before Abril was formally sentenced, the court allowed the MacEgan family to speak about the impact of these crimes and the family patriarch’s death.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
  • In Dallas-Fort Worth, there were 104,378 births and 53,559 deaths, which means 50,819 of the area’s new residents were a result of natural population change.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Any balls that fall to the bottom suffer a miserable, dense-center fate, and that simply will not abide on Passover.
    Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
  • For example, when the count is 2-1 and the batter doesn’t swing at a borderline pitch, his fate will be dramatically shifted by the ensuing call.
    Juliette Arcodia, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Treatment refusal rests on the inherent right of self-determination and does not depend on how the Constitution is interpreted.
    Robert S. Olick, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
  • In some sea caves, harbor seals rest in the quiet shade.
    Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • She was arraigned on charges of operating an unlicensed dog-breeding facility and wire fraud.
    J.D. Miles, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
  • They are found throughout Connecticut forests and are one of the first species to breed in large numbers just in time for spring.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The 7-foot forward emerged from a season-long slumber at the most opportune time, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a season-high 28 minutes off the bench after losing his starting spot to freshman Tae Simmons (eight points, eight rebounds).
    Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Ever since that fateful 1950s day in New Jersey when Steve Spielberg's father roused him from slumber to take a late-night rural drive out to watch a spectacular shooting star show, the legendary filmmaker has been fascinated with outer space and the mysteries of the cosmos.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Officers met with medics at the scene who declared an adult female dead.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • But fear of the difficult dead neither originated in nor has been confined to the nineteenth-century European re-imaginings of Vlad the Impaler.
    Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Trump’s administration has said the economic pressure Cuba is under will bring about the communist government’s demise.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Even after someone's demise, debt collectors can try to collect a payment from a decedent’s estate or, in some cases, from someone who received money from the estate.
    Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleep. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on sleep

Nglish: Translation of sleep for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sleep

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