1
as in bed
a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself
neither of them has been getting much sleep since the baby was born
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in death
the state of being dead
a grieving widower longing to join his beloved wife in her eternal sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fate
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities
regretfully put their terminally ill dog to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rest
to be in a state of sleep
the baby slept for the entire length of the car trip found the night watchman sleeping at his post
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sleep
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 20 Mar. 2026
Her body’s stress response system has been running so long and hard that sleep itself has become less effective.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Fred Sassani, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Nobody slept, one participant recalled.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleep
Noun
Make sure at least one of your movement days is a lower lift and prioritize getting enough quality sleep to help your muscles recover.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 20 Mar. 2026
Her body’s stress response system has been running so long and hard that sleep itself has become less effective.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Improvements in body composition, strength, endurance, sleep quality and energy levels are all signs that your body is moving in the right direction.
—Fred Sassani, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Nobody slept, one participant recalled.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleep
Noun
-
The rooms The rooms at Hotel June Malibu are minimal but effortlessly cool, each centered around a king-sized bed (with a Casper mattress) that’s bliss after a day of sun and surf.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The facility would have 50-70 beds and provide treatment for people who are committed to a state institution or ordered to receive treatment for substance use disorder.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Themes of self-sacrifice dance around the script, but for a film that deals with such dark ideas as isolation and death in space, the film undermines its own pathos at every opportunity.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed the death, but withheld his identity.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The selection committee deemed both squads worthy of a shot despite their struggles, and that’s a message that Weaver told his teammates after the Longhorns found out their fate on Sunday.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
On Sunday, the RedHawks had to watch the March Madness Selection Sunday show, like everyone else, to learn their fate.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both teams were shorthanded with eight players on each side ruled out due to injuries – or rest in the case of Kyle Filipowski, a 22-year-old forward who played 25 minutes two nights earlier in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Much of the progress toward eliminating sleeping sickness rests on the work of African researchers and patients who took part in the trials, despite difficult conditions.—
Fran Kritz,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At Punta Papa, divers can explore a WWII shipwreck, while, closer to the harbor, the Grotte di Pilato is an impressive series of tunnels and fish ponds carved into the tuff by ancient Romans, who used them to breed moray eels.—
Kristina Kasparian,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Orioles breed here at lower elevations while grosbeaks are more widely spread out and wait until conditions are warmer.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The 7-foot forward emerged from a season-long slumber at the most opportune time, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a season-high 28 minutes off the bench after losing his starting spot to freshman Tae Simmons (eight points, eight rebounds).—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Ever since that fateful 1950s day in New Jersey when Steve Spielberg's father roused him from slumber to take a late-night rural drive out to watch a spectacular shooting star show, the legendary filmmaker has been fascinated with outer space and the mysteries of the cosmos.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Officers met with medics at the scene who declared an adult female dead.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But fear of the difficult dead neither originated in nor has been confined to the nineteenth-century European re-imaginings of Vlad the Impaler.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But if O’Brien does decide to walk away after this year, acting out his demise with his mentor, Downey, seems like an apt way to go out.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The occasion marks the demise of the wicked Persian vizier Haman, who sought, some 2,500 years ago, to exterminate Jews throughout the vast Persian Empire.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleep. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
