: 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
Cutter Martin, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The worst winds have eased, but winds could still gust 40 to 50 mph as rain mixes with a little sleet and snow before ending by around midnight.
—Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Further south, parts of the Northern High Plains and central Midwest are seeing a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
There, the National Weather Service has forecast heavy snow that mixes with sleet at times, beginning early Sunday.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleet
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Noun
Scattered snow and sleet showers will sweep through Maryland during the afternoon and early evening hours.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The worst winds have eased, but winds could still gust 40 to 50 mph as rain mixes with a little sleet and snow before ending by around midnight.
—Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Further south, parts of the Northern High Plains and central Midwest are seeing a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
There, the National Weather Service has forecast heavy snow that mixes with sleet at times, beginning early Sunday.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 14 Mar. 2026
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 Mar. 2026.
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