: rain that freezes or partly freezes as it falls from the sky
Concerned that ice pellets—also known as sleet—were a larger hazard than previously thought, the Federal Aviation Administration in late 2005 adopted strict limits on planes taking off in such icy conditions.—
Susan Carey and Andy Pasztor
Susan Carey and Andy PasztorThe wind blew bitterly cold, and the boughs of the old tree crackled under falling sleet.—Harriet Jacobs
compare freezing rain, hail entry 1, snow entry 1
Harriet JacobsExamples of sleet in a Sentence
Noun
The snow turned to sleet and made driving very dangerous.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2025
The snow in many parts of the Northeast was changing to sleet and rain as this system moved through the Northeast on Sunday.
—Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2025
The mix of sleet and freezing rain, expected across much of the Northeast, will make for challenging driving conditions.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2025
According to the National Weather Service, snow is expected to move into the state in the afternoon hours Saturday and mix with sleet sometime overnight.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleet
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Additional snow and sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2025
The snow in many parts of the Northeast was changing to sleet and rain as this system moved through the Northeast on Sunday.
—Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2025
The mix of sleet and freezing rain, expected across much of the Northeast, will make for challenging driving conditions.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2025
According to the National Weather Service, snow is expected to move into the state in the afternoon hours Saturday and mix with sleet sometime overnight.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleet
Cite this Entry
“Sleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleet. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share