night owl

Definition of night owlnext
as in nighthawk
a person who is active late at night a night owl whose spouse is more of an early bird

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 night owl Margi Thornburgh, a night owl, checks ads and clips coupons every Wednesday at midnight and hunts for more discounts on store shelves. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025 But there is hope for night owls. Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025 Patsas is a local hangover remedy; most magereia—tavernas where the philosophy of sharing food was more important than any fancy methods or ingredients—serve it late, catering both to night owls and early-shift workers. Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025 Much of sleep medicine research focuses on specific problems, such as sleep apnea’s link to cognitive decline, how insomnia affects the heart or whether someone is a night owl or an early bird. Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for night owl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for night owl
nighthawk
Noun
  • Somewhere in the desert, nighthawks are rising from reefs of blood-red clouds.
    Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Whip-poor-wills and nighthawks, for example, feed on moths and other flying insects at night, foraging when there is less competition with other species.
    The New York Times Elaine Chen Emily Anthes, New York Times, 18 May 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Night owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/night%20owl. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

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