1
as in sleeping
being in a state of suspended consciousness
the bears lay dormant in their den during the winter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vacant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the engine lay dormant in the garage until we found a use for it
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Recent Examples of dormant
Still, as Deadline reported in February, while dormant, Organized Crime was not completely dead and there had been a soft outreach for a new showrunner.
—
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Becerra’s top aide, Sean McCluskie, plead guilty in November to diverting $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign funds and using the money to inflate his salary.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
It can be kept alive in a dormant state in drought situations simply by watering it every two to three weeks.
—Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Don’t apply weed and feed when grass has gone dormant for the winter.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Becerra’s top aide, Sean McCluskie, plead guilty in November to diverting $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign funds and using the money to inflate his salary.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
It can be kept alive in a dormant state in drought situations simply by watering it every two to three weeks.
—Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Don’t apply weed and feed when grass has gone dormant for the winter.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dormant
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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The lobby and tenant amenity areas were upgraded in 2019, according to real estate tracker CoStar, which lists the property as more than half vacant.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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The vacant structure had been damaged by a fire once already when it was set ablaze a second time, damaging the property next door, said Jackson, president of the South End Neighborhood Association.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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After a lengthy investigation found there was no evidence to suggest that the crash was intentional, detectives determined that Gutierrez likely fell asleep at the wheel.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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According to five family members and an attorney who spoke with the Herald, guards working for a private contractor most recently used chemical agents in the early morning hours of April 6, when many detainees were asleep in bunk beds crammed into chain-link cages.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Flying into Singapore over the weekend gave me a front row seat to the literal sea of cargo ships sitting idle in the Port of Singapore.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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There’s also The Italian Restaurant located within the 6,100-square-foot entertainment complex that serves classic Italian comfort dishes (during idle times while dining, kids can feel free to jaunt toward the arcade for a round of air hockey before the plate of rigatoni is served).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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But the measure backfired when municipalities’ collection sites were overwhelmed, leading to stockpiles of unused textiles, and the government reversed part of the rule in October.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Also headquartered at the warehouse is Expendables Upcycler, which recovers everything from unused gaffer’s tape to camera equipment and batteries.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The film will be produced by Amy Pascal and Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Aditya Sood through Lord Miller’s first‑look deal with Universal Pictures — fresh off success with their Amazon MGM sci-fi pic Project Hail Mary, which has grossed over $147M worldwide at time of reporting.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
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His off-camera thoughts were revealed when internal communications between Fox staffers went public in 2023 due to Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News for knowingly broadcasting false claims that its machines rigged the 2020 election.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For whatever sprinkling of sociopathy that Quinn might have, seeing her dead best friend’s daughter, who looks just like her best friend, standing in front of her cracks through a little bit.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
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Dust mites, dead skin cells, sweat buildup and allergens accumulate over months, affecting your sleep quality and potentially triggering sneezing and congestion.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dormant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dormant. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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