as in napping
to sleep lightly or briefly
picnickers drowsing in the shade of an oak tree
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Recent Examples of drowsing
Bear in mind that those 55 million impressions were totted up long before Nielsen began counting scores of drowsing aunts and hyperactive toddlers among its national TV deliveries.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Jena looked over at the man’s camel, drowsing alongside the tent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Jena looked over at the man’s camel, drowsing alongside the tent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drowsing
Verb
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Two college students in California died after being swept into the Pacific Ocean by rising tides and powerful surf while apparently napping near a popular but perilous beach access point, according to authorities.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
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But, during the close and intense matchup, the president appeared to be caught napping in his seat.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The movie ends with a shot of the girls sitting by the pool, with Sonya’s head resting on Coley’s shoulder.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
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The pieces can be separated to create extra resting space during meal prep or repurposed as vessels for nuts or olives at your next happy hour.—
Mina Dragani,
Architectural Digest,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Victor Nicholas ended up dozing with his head on her shoulder.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
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A little walk to Ayu Bakehouse, especially in the early morning while most of the neighborhood is still dozing, is a great start to the day.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their football was slumbering, stuttering.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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And amazingly, photographs of them have been slumbering in archives or circulating unidentified for almost a century.—
Glenn Kurtz,
Time,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drowsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drowsing. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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