Synonyms of sit-innext
1
2
a
: an act of occupying seats in a racially segregated establishment in organized protest against discrimination
b
: an act of sitting in the seats or on the floor of an establishment as a means of organized protest

sit in

2 of 2

verb

sat in; sitting in; sits in

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in or be present at a session of music or discussion as a visitor
—often used with on
invited to sit in on a rehearsal
2
: to participate in a sit-in

Examples of sit-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The law passed in 1973, but after years without any moves to implement it, Judy Heumann led over 100 disabled people and nondisabled allies in a sit-in at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco. — Rebekah Taussig, Time, 28 Oct. 2026 Students also organized key civil rights sit-in protests in Greensboro. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
Five blocks north of Lower Broad and right on Printers Alley, the Countrypolitan sits in the heart of downtown Nashville. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026 Evelyn Valdes was celebrating her birthday last June when she was struck by police gunfire while sitting in a nearby SUV during a confrontation outside a club. — Najahe Sherman, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sit-in

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sit-in was in 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Sit-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit-in. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

sit-in

noun
ˈsit-ˌin
: an act of sitting in seats or on the floor (as in a restaurant or office) as a means of organized protest

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