babysit

verb

ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit How to pronounce babysit (audio)
babysat ˈbā-bē-ˌsat How to pronounce babysit (audio) ; babysitting

intransitive verb

: to care for children usually during a short absence of the parents
broadly : to give care
babysit for a neighbor's pets

transitive verb

: to babysit for
She babysits her grandchildren.
broadly : mind, tend
babysit house plants
police babysitting a witness
babysitter noun

Examples of babysit in a Sentence

She babysits their kids on Saturday nights.
Recent Examples on the Web As a student at the elite private school Saint Ann’s, his classmates included Lola Schnabel, the daughter of painter Julian Schnabel, and writer, director and actress Lena Dunham, whom Posen used to babysit. Cathleen Chen, CNN, 2 Oct. 2024 The incident took place in Taylor, Mich. on Saturday, Sept. 28 after the older sister was reportedly left to babysit the 7-year-old A 13-year-old girl in Taylor, Michigan is reportedly facing murder charges after allegedly stabbing her 7-year-old sister to death while babysitting. Becca Longmire, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024 So consider asking a grandparent, other relative, or caregiver to babysit—a little me-time is healthy for everyone involved. Francyne Zeltser, Parents, 12 Sep. 2024 The first grader’s mother was working the night shift at St. Joseph’s Hospital and had asked Love to babysit her son. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for babysit 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'babysit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from babysitter

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of babysit was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near babysit

Cite this Entry

“Babysit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babysit. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

babysit

verb
ba·​by·​sit ˈbā-bē-ˌsit How to pronounce babysit (audio)
babysat -ˌsat How to pronounce babysit (audio) ; babysitting
: to care for children usually while the parents are away for a short time
babysitter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on babysit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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