graveyard shift

noun

: a work shift beginning late at night (such as 11 o'clock)
also : the workers on such a shift

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Walmart is always hiring for the graveyard shift. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 1 Oct. 2022 Some were finishing up a graveyard shift. Julie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 May 2021 Warren works the graveyard shift two days a week. Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, 8 June 2020 Within two weeks, rats working the graveyard shift gained a significant amount of weight as their post-work activity decreased. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2014 At the time, Marshall, who is now a physical education teacher in Milford, was working the graveyard shift at the Beaver County Correctional Facility. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Jan. 2023 As Frank, Cage's character works the graveyard shift in a two-man ambulance. Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2022 But a city attorney, Ana Marie Jordan, said during cross-examination that the numbers are influenced by the fact that fewer officers are on duty during the undesired graveyard shift. Dallas News, 7 Mar. 2022 It is already known that working the graveyard shift can negatively impact health, and the body of evidence continues to grow. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2014 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of graveyard shift was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near graveyard shift

Cite this Entry

“Graveyard shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graveyard%20shift. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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