napping 1 of 3

napping

2 of 3

noun

as in sleep
a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself some people think that napping in the afternoon will keep you from sleeping well at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

napping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of nap

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 napping
Noun
Exercise and napping produced similar memory performance benefits, but through different neural processes. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026 How Sleep Patterns Connect to Hemorrhoid Risk A study published in Neuropsychiatric Research in August 2026 examined whether sleep patterns like insomnia, sleep duration and daytime napping may influence the risk of developing hemorrhoids. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 By nine-thirty, people were stretched out on the soft grass, napping, reading, and revelling in the previous night’s victory. — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 When temperatures eventually dip, Shah likes keeping an extra blanket in the car—a place where many babies do their best napping, much to their parents’ delight. — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026 Any signs of enthusiasm for the meal created suspicions of cook-napping. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 July 2026 Our agenda includes promenading with the official mascots, catching up on our napping, and looking in on the Pharmalot ancestor. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026 My 5-year-old corgi, Luna, is a dedicated burrower—any blanket, pillow or soft corner in the house quickly becomes her personal napping spot. — Jessica Moore, USA Today, 27 June 2026 The findings don’t mean long naps cause liver disease, but that napping might indicate that poor sleep, insulin resistance, or sleep apnea needs attention. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 15 June 2026
Verb
Andrew was napping on a couch in the family home when he was struck up to 11 times with a hatchet. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026 Longer sleep duration was linked to about 16% higher odds, and daytime napping to about 14% higher odds. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Counterintuitively for sleep-optimization crowds, longer sleep duration was linked to about 16% higher odds, and daytime napping to about 14% higher odds, complicating the assumption that more sleep is always protective. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026 There are five sculptures, one for each of de Monteflores’s children; and Fraser herself was a toddler when the paintings on view were made, likely napping, her mother has said, while the work took shape. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 The data showed that sperm whales napping near the surface blew bubbles 11 times on average during their naps, compared to three or four times by those whales making a slow ascent. — ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 There was nothing comfier, or more quintessentially childhood-coded, than wrapping myself in a patchwork throw and napping the entire five-and-a-half-hour drive to the family vacation home in Vermont. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2026 Primates napping next to another animal or playing with them offers no readily apparent rewards—suggesting that this innate curiosity and friendliness is more deeply ingrained in humanity’s evolutionary journey. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 Kayaking, paddleboarding, and other aquatic sports are also available, though sun-seekers will be perfectly content lounging, reading, and napping with the property’s flat-as-glass horizon as the background. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for napping
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
  • Now it is marketed for skin conditions, inflammation, muscle pain, weight loss, sleep, hair growth and cognitive function.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In addition to her skincare routine, Hale also relies on healthy food and lots of hydration and sleep.
    — Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • That first reactor is already resting at a shipyard, ready for installation into the ship’s hull.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The evidence Before resting their case, prosecutors said evidence showed that Kosowski had become obsessed with Cozzi.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • One burns the only copy of her sister’s precious handwritten manuscript; at least two others set houses on fire, one while her unsuspecting parents are still asleep inside.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Before couples give up and split into separate rooms, a growing lineup of snoring solutions is trying to keep both people in the same bed and both people actually asleep.
    — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Swift is a ghost of girlfriends past haunting Johnson in the video, sleeping in bed next to her, knocking drinks over to warn her to leave her ominous partner.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • As cooler weather rolls in, now is the perfect time to add mulch to your garden beds.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Most other feeders can send dozens, if not hundreds, of clips to your phone each day, which can be more fatiguing than relaxing to go through.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Below, 12 photos of Diana relaxing and unwinding on vacation.
    — Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Above-average rainfall in June and August, along with several cold fronts sweeping across the region, woke the seeds from a lengthy slumber to transform the landscape.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • If only professional old salt Wyck (Stephen Root) would quit with the doomsday prophecies about the fog being a sign of the island waking from malevolent slumber.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Too much light snoozing each night was associated with a higher risk of poor mental health and problems with muscles and bones.
    — Mike McRae September 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The show is so cozy and soothing that the actors frequently fell asleep during takes and can be spotted snoozing in the background.
    — Josh Gondelman, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Napping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/napping. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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