as in asleep
being in a state of suspended consciousness
a roomful of sleeping preschoolers at a daycare center
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in resting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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Recent Examples of sleeping
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
Basic units start at just $35 a night for travelers with their own sleeping gear, while furnished options—complete with fresh linens and a small fridge—range from $55 to $60.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026
Expect cryotherapy pods, hyperbaric chambers, altitude training rooms, thermal pools and molecular nutrition labs, paired with five-star sleeping accommodations and architecture designed to feel restorative on its own.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Some people are working multiple jobs or shifts that cut into their sleeping time.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Tents line the sidewalk on North Sacramento Avenue in Chicago, private sleeping quarters abutting the public way.
—Jeremy Wolff, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
That widens the interior sleeping floor to 55 in (140 cm), which is actually wider than the mattresses in the newest Volkswagen California models.
—C.c. Weiss
may 01, New Atlas, 1 May 2026
The council banned sleeping at City Hall with a 6-3 vote last year.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
This history begins in the trees, roughly 14 to 18 million years ago, according to evolutionary biologists, when our great ape ancestors likely developed sleeping platforms.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Most of the rest are up for adoption, including two 1-year-old Göttingen minipigs — named Barrigan and Mulligan — sleeping near Amber and who were sent to the network by a Kansas City area testing lab after being used in research.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Hormone replacement medications are prescribed to treat hot flashes, mood swings, urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness and difficulty sleeping, as well as to protect against bone fractures.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 10 May 2026
From lush velvet upholstery to intricate marquetry to gleaming brass fixtures, each sleeping carriage—including an exclusive carriage-long L’Observatoire designed by French artist and photographer JR that launched in 2025—is packed with immersive details that send travelers back in time.
—Rebekah Peppler, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 May 2026
But Archie and Katie, still very much in love, are sleeping together again.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 May 2026
On Thursday, tiny kittens at the San Diego Humane Society’s kitten nursery were curled up close together, sleeping.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
This leave-on lip sleeping mask delivers deep hydration and antioxidant-rich protection, so your mother will wake up with smooth, supple lips.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
When scientists initially studied attempts to learn while sleeping, the results seemed promising.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
Adjective
An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Host Ready app includes practical information on topics such as food, religion, general background, sleeping and meal schedules.
—Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
Basic units start at just $35 a night for travelers with their own sleeping gear, while furnished options—complete with fresh linens and a small fridge—range from $55 to $60.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026
Expect cryotherapy pods, hyperbaric chambers, altitude training rooms, thermal pools and molecular nutrition labs, paired with five-star sleeping accommodations and architecture designed to feel restorative on its own.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Some people are working multiple jobs or shifts that cut into their sleeping time.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Tents line the sidewalk on North Sacramento Avenue in Chicago, private sleeping quarters abutting the public way.
—Jeremy Wolff, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
That widens the interior sleeping floor to 55 in (140 cm), which is actually wider than the mattresses in the newest Volkswagen California models.
—C.c. Weiss
may 01, New Atlas, 1 May 2026
The council banned sleeping at City Hall with a 6-3 vote last year.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
This history begins in the trees, roughly 14 to 18 million years ago, according to evolutionary biologists, when our great ape ancestors likely developed sleeping platforms.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Verb
Pricing varies dramatically depending on accommodation type, from sleeping-bag spaces to luxury suites.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Most of the rest are up for adoption, including two 1-year-old Göttingen minipigs — named Barrigan and Mulligan — sleeping near Amber and who were sent to the network by a Kansas City area testing lab after being used in research.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Hormone replacement medications are prescribed to treat hot flashes, mood swings, urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness and difficulty sleeping, as well as to protect against bone fractures.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 10 May 2026
From lush velvet upholstery to intricate marquetry to gleaming brass fixtures, each sleeping carriage—including an exclusive carriage-long L’Observatoire designed by French artist and photographer JR that launched in 2025—is packed with immersive details that send travelers back in time.
—Rebekah Peppler, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 May 2026
But Archie and Katie, still very much in love, are sleeping together again.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 May 2026
On Thursday, tiny kittens at the San Diego Humane Society’s kitten nursery were curled up close together, sleeping.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
This leave-on lip sleeping mask delivers deep hydration and antioxidant-rich protection, so your mother will wake up with smooth, supple lips.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
When scientists initially studied attempts to learn while sleeping, the results seemed promising.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
-
But the underlying mechanism is well-established — a landmark 1999 study in Nature found foot vasodilation was the single strongest physiological predictor of how quickly someone falls asleep.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
-
Guests are encouraged to fall asleep during the session — making rest itself the treatment.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The marker says the cemetery became the final resting place of many Black residents, many of whom worked in the area’s farming fields, groves and packing houses.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
Multiple clues pointed to Tampa's final resting place, said William Thiesen, a Coast Guard Atlantic Area historian.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Inside the bus, students — ever the teenage archetype — were napping, chatting and stretching.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
-
When one of them crouched to pet the Federicos’ dog Marshall, napping on the floor, Rob explained how Kong dog toys were invented.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The findings suggest that restoration could be improved by selecting or breeding eelgrass better suited to future conditions.—
Annika Hammerschlag,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Prevent mosquitos from breeding by eliminating standing water, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
For the first time in 200 years, red-and-green macaws are mating in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, according to BBC Wildlife.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
The males will sometimes pursue the females for up to one week before mating even occurs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lily is the quickest to figure out the detective stories that George reads them every evening in the field, but otherwise smarts count for little in a quiet life of grazing and dozing.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There’s no dozing off in his sessions.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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