put to sleep
idiom
1
: to give (a sick or injured animal) drugs that will make it die without pain
2
informal
: to use a drug to make (someone) unconscious before a medical operation : to give (someone) anesthesia before a medical operation
3
: to get (someone) ready to sleep for the night
Did you put the kids to sleep?
4
: to make (someone) fall asleep from boredom
Her lectures used to put me to sleep.
Examples of put to sleep in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just over a year later, the heartbroken pet owner learned her sickly companion was never actually put to sleep.
—
Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024
Sadly, the blind donkey was put to sleep — coincidentally on the same day that Larson's blind horse had an eye removed.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
But as the landing zone moves into Earth’s shadow, experiencing lunar night, the spacecraft will be put to sleep.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024
In Orion’s story, he’s whisked by the dark out of his home and into an adventure that will involve seeing people seemingly smothered or hit to be put to sleep at night (then given a good-night kiss), sucked into a vortex, and nearly killed more than once.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for put to sleep 
Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024
Sadly, the blind donkey was put to sleep — coincidentally on the same day that Larson's blind horse had an eye removed.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
But as the landing zone moves into Earth’s shadow, experiencing lunar night, the spacecraft will be put to sleep.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024
In Orion’s story, he’s whisked by the dark out of his home and into an adventure that will involve seeing people seemingly smothered or hit to be put to sleep at night (then given a good-night kiss), sucked into a vortex, and nearly killed more than once.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for put to sleep
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'put to sleep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near put to sleep
Cite this Entry
“Put to sleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20to%20sleep. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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