: 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
Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
That could equal a wintery mix of sleet, freezing rain, rain and maybe even a snow flurry or two.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
While most areas will just experience snow, some southern counties are likely to receive a mix of sleet and rain along with snow, sometime between noon and 5 p.m., the weather service said.
— Diana Leyva, The Tennessean
When will the snow start to fall in Nashville?
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Severe weather conditions that meteorologists might highlight are heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain, which could cause significant impacts to travel.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleet
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Noun
But, a system will approach the area from the southwest later in the day bringing precipitation and the possibility of sleet to the region.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
That could equal a wintery mix of sleet, freezing rain, rain and maybe even a snow flurry or two.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
While most areas will just experience snow, some southern counties are likely to receive a mix of sleet and rain along with snow, sometime between noon and 5 p.m., the weather service said.
— Diana Leyva, The Tennessean
When will the snow start to fall in Nashville?
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Severe weather conditions that meteorologists might highlight are heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain, which could cause significant impacts to travel.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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