Rip van Winkle
noun
Rip van Win·kle
ˌrip-(ˌ)van-ˈwiŋ-kəl 
-vən-
: a ne'er-do-well in a story in Washington Irving's Sketch Book who sleeps for 20 years
Examples of Rip van Winkle in a Sentence
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Thunder here reminds me of Rip van Winkle rolling ninepins in the hills.
—
John Archibald, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
In the novel Roth’s alter ego has returned, like Rip van Winkle, to New York City from his secluded mountain redoubt.
—George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2013
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John Archibald, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
In the novel Roth’s alter ego has returned, like Rip van Winkle, to New York City from his secluded mountain redoubt.
—George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2013
Cite this Entry
“Rip van Winkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rip%20van%20Winkle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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