sleeping 1 of 3

sleeping

2 of 3

noun

sleeping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of sleep
1
as in napping
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in breeding
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 sleeping
Noun
About 356 feet long, the station is bigger than a six-bedroom house and has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025 Experts advised planning for this change two weeks ago by shifting your sleeping schedule a bit each night. Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025 Zee's research shows even small amounts of light while sleeping can have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Allison Aubrey, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025 Choose from single or double sleeping cabins, four or six-berth couchettes, or overnight seating for the more budget-conscious. Jenn Rice, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2025 One day, Scorsese’s assistant panicked after taking too many hardcore sleeping bills, freezing up the assistant’s mouth in the process. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025 Flashlights and sleeping bags are optional. Melissa Willets, Parents, 1 Nov. 2025 That has more than quintupled to 16 modules providing more living space than a six-bedroom home, with two bathrooms, a gym, six sleeping pods and a cupola that provides a 360-degree view of the Earth below. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025 For older couples, living arrangements, such as sharing a home, were less predictive of psychological well-being than sharing a sleeping space. Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
The campaign reprises and expands the concept of the collection’s look book images unveiled earlier this year, which saw Michele’s tribe pictured on a bed, mainly sleeping but also occasionally playing the guitar, doing a crossword puzzle, taking selfies or having a snack. Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025 Despite vacationing on a luxury yacht, Bronwyn spent the night sleeping on a pool chair on the deck rather than spending the night having to share a bed with Britani. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025 While a bag of marbles, flying stones, or a gift box wrapped in a pink bow can all seal someone’s fate, the biggest threat in this game just might be the player sleeping right beside you. Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025 Symptoms include irritability and other mood changes, fatigue and trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, neck pain, and hyperactivity. Angela Haupt, Time, 4 Nov. 2025 By night two sleeping on the mattress, her body started to recalibrate and adjust to the softness. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2025 Consider that in 2022, about 3,700 infants passed away while sleeping, or ten babies every day. Melissa Willets, Parents, 4 Nov. 2025 With no rooster to sing in a new day, Marialice begins a journey in endless night to find the sleeping sun, accompanied by tiny chick Little. John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025 Bush Hager's most noticeable symptoms include mood swings and trouble sleeping. Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
  • Nine Ukrainian regions came under attack, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the latest assault coming as many were asleep.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Taken to a spiritual realm, the children remain asleep and safe from the extremists’ influence.
    Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Friday night’s 2-1 loss against Leeds was the day the first shovels went into the ground as West Ham’s relegation resting place is constructed.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • While there aren’t any specific ghost tales associated with this cemetery, the grounds serve as the final resting place of several early park guests, staff, and Southern Sierra Miwok Nation community members.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Another viral video that racked up millions of views in September, meanwhile, revealed how a puppy had taken to napping in the tightest of spots.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Melissa, who was napping upstairs, woke up after hearing Stacy's screams and saw Ward on top of her sister.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Schwanz pointed out how the work goes back to breeding resilience—not just breeding crops that can do more with less or maximizing yield—but true resilience for everyone.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Alpha Genesis’s red-meat pivot is emblematic of the desperate position in which the primate-breeding industry now finds itself.
    Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Adults emerge from the pupae and begin feeding, mating and laying eggs.
    Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Fall is mating season for elk in places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone, and approaching too closely can put both humans and animals at risk.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There’s no dozing off in his sessions.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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