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
The outpouring was probably what helped reverse the dino-napping. Aishvarya Kavi, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 Grand Patio Outdoor Bean Bag Chair Get super comfy with this elevated outdoor beanbag chair, which features a sturdy steel frame and cloud-like cushions that are perfect for napping, reading, or suntanning. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025 Mzoo Sleep Eye Mask Besides the views and having a wall to lean up against while napping, one of my favorite things about the window seat is being able to control when the window shade goes down. Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025 The union attributes the napping to pilot fatigue from tight schedules and staff shortages. Zach Wichter, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025 His favorite napping place is in a cardboard box. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 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 Some of us were napping before our long night of high school coverage and ran a little late to the Baylor-CPA game. Tyler Palmateer, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Sep. 2025 Though his record was overtaken, Maru maintained a devoted following on his channel, Mugumogu — with nearly 900,000 subscribers — where curious minds will find clips of Maru napping, wearing costumes, and routinely diving into cardboard boxes. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025 Dog-napping bad boyfriend Lex Luthor. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025 Many cat owners have seen their cat sleeping in a sunny patch on the bed, or even knocking over plants and whatever else is in the way to get an ideal window-napping position. Meghan Holmes, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025 Glenn Close may have played the dog-napping Cruella De Vil in the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians, but Stone starred in this 2021 prequel, which explored Cruella's origins inside the world of high fashion. James Mercadante, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025 While napping has been found to be beneficial for cognitive abilities like memory and function, the timing is important — longer naps and napping later in the afternoon could cause someone to feel more alert when bedtime rolls around, Drerup said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for napping
Noun
  • Hank certainly seems to be getting more than his 40 winks of sleep at night, if the care and intelligence demonstrated in this brief clip is anything to go by.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • That could be with an incredible craftsman who makes a perfect mattress for a great night’s sleep, for example.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tomasek’s power play misses After Demko gloved his shot from the slot, David Tomasek bent over with his stick resting across his knees and bowed his head.
    Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • My depression doesn’t look like the stereotypes of a woman with a resting sad face.
    Ashley Womble, SELF, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the quiet hush of the neonatal intensive care unit at Shahjahanpur Medical College, the only constant sound was the monotone of the heart monitor, its low hum keeping watch over the baby sleeping inside the sterile incubator.
    Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Interestingly, men seemed more affected than women—sleeping about 50 minutes less overall.
    Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Hall of Fame basketball player Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after being found asleep behind the wheel of an SUV on a Los Angeles highway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
    David Carrillo Peñaloza, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The unnecessary teensy twin spoilers seem to serve no purpose beyond making loading things into the bed of the truck harder.
    Sean Evans, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The pair dated in 2010, and they were filmed in bed together on the spinoff series Kourtney & Kim Take New York.
    Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hold for 20-30 seconds, focusing on relaxing your neck and breathing deeply.
    Jakob Roze, Health, 14 Oct. 2025
  • With a minute left in the first half of Sunday’s game and momentum relaxing on Denver’s sideline, Glenn and the Jets dialed up a fake punt on 4th-and-1 from their 37-yard line.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Now, the cat and dog duo can spend all their time playing and snoozing side by side.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • However, astronomers hope future observations will help shed light on these snoozing star factories.
    Shreejaya Karantha, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Its hero has become shorthand, to the point of cliché, to describe any long slumber.
    John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Best Time to Visit The best time to visit Villefranche-sur-Mer is between April and June, when restaurant terraces and small boutiques full of dresses stir from their winter slumber, but the summer tourists have yet to arrive.
    Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Napping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/napping. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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