sleep 1 of 2

noun

ˈslēp How to pronounce sleep (audio)
Definition of sleepnext
1
as in bed
a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself neither of them has been getting much sleep since the baby was born

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in death
the state of being dead a grieving widower longing to join his beloved wife in her eternal sleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fate
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities regretfully put their terminally ill dog to sleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sleep

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rest
to be in a state of sleep the baby slept for the entire length of the car trip found the night watchman sleeping at his post

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to breed
to engage in sexual intercourse if I don't read the tabloids, how will I know who is sleeping with whom this week?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sleep
Noun
Common ingredients include magnesium glycinate for sleep, creatine for brain fog and muscle support, omega-3s, adaptogens, and cortisol or stress complexes. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 Apps such as Headspace, Calm and Plum Village – inspired by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh – are helping people build a steady practice, reduce stress and improve sleep. — Ronald S. Green, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Verb
And don’t sleep on the numerous opportunities for pairing your camping trip with a visit to a dog-friendly winery nearby. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 The Bcozzy Neck Pillow stands out for its wraparound design, which can be adjusted for side sleepers, chin droppers, and anyone who tends to tilt their head while sleeping. — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleep
  1. bed
  2. death
  3. fate
  4. rest
  5. breed
  6. slumber
  7. dead
  8. demise
Noun
  • Small, nervous dogs will feel safe and comfy in this furry donut bed.
    — Christina Shepherd McGuire, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • Health officials declined to identify the facilities or to specify reasons, other than saying that the long-term care industry opens facilities and increases or decreases beds based on business factors.
    — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Definition of bed
Noun
  • Brown’s wife was Bruneau’s best friend at the time of the victim’s death, and both women worked as flight attendants for Braniff Airlines, a Grapevine police detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit filed in June.
    — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • The death was the fourth reported at a Sacramento County jail facility in 2026 and the second this year at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of death
Noun
  • Reading Europe’s fate through the lives of two French sisters in a famous impressionist portrait.
    — Luke Lyman, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
  • Families torn apart The disaster has led to a particularly complex situation for those children who were separated from parents whose fate remains unclear.
    — Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of fate
Verb
  • Broadway's glittering lights have always beckoned aspiring thespians and avid theatergoers to New York, and the city's ever exciting theatre scene is far from simply resting on its laurels.
    — Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026
  • Dennis Sochor, a swimming-pool cleaner, helped Patty move her ill friend into her car to rest, and Patty ultimately got in Sochor’s car, according to the Miami Herald’s archives.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of rest
Verb
  • With no natural predators and the ability to breed year-round, their populations have exploded over the decades.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Plant breeders, including universities, have long experimented with breeding new crop varieties, and some have become household names.
    — Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of breed
Noun
  • Mighty ice breakers moored in their summer slumber are the only reminder of the bitter Baltic winters.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
  • But with the weather warming as Japan has entered summer, the bears have emerged from their slumber – and are heading back into cities and towns.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Definition of slumber
Noun
  • Iran cannot, because the people who made so many thousands of our dead are still the people in charge, still adding to the count.
    — Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026
  • The Tracy Police Department is seeking potential witnesses of a June 26 stabbing that occurred in front of Target at the West Valley Mall and left an 18-year-old dead.
    — Lyanne Wang, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of dead
Noun
  • But under the new law, the logging and human development that led to their near demise is now allowed.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Ellie, of course, meets her demise by the conclusion of Evil Dead Rise, which sets up the post-credit scene in Evil Dead Burn.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of demise

Phrases Containing sleep

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sleeks
sleep
sleeper
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Cite this Entry

“Sleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleep. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sleep

Nglish: Translation of sleep for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sleep

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