sleeping 1 of 3

sleeping

2 of 3

noun

sleeping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of sleep
1
as in napping
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

2
as in breeding
to engage in sexual intercourse if I don't read the tabloids, how will I know who is sleeping with whom this week?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sleeping
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
Meanwhile, a decline in sudden infant death syndrome could be connected to an increase in education about safe sleeping for infants, Warren said in a statement. Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026 This space houses a stone alcove bed, additional sleeping space, a generous kitchen, and a beautiful bathroom of stone and cocciopesto. Lucrezia Worthington, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 June 2026 Air mattresses, camping cots and sleeping pads often come with a carrying bag to make transport easier. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 In camp, keep your sleeping area, cooking area and food storage area separate. Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026 Treatment may also bring practical adjustments, including separate sleeping arrangements, changes in physical contact or new daily routines. Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026 Keeping your bedroom as dark as possible while sleeping can also support the adjustment by reinforcing the body's natural sleep signals and helping maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle, Wright says. Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 June 2026 Great sleeping weather Monday night as temperatures dip into the upper 50s with a starlit sky. Steven Sosna, CBS News, 14 June 2026 Two guest rooms — ideal for Kamal and Riva’s twin daughters — connect through a former sleeping porch with a fireplace and built-ins, creating flexible space for an office, hobby room or hangout area. David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
Ridgetop is a larger option, sleeping up to 18 guests with six bathrooms as well as six private bedrooms, each sleeping up to three people. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026 Franklin says warning signs of caregiver strain can include chronic fatigue, anxiety, irritability, difficulty sleeping and emotional withdrawal. Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026 Its leaders must be on edge, laden with grief, sleeping poorly and battered by sanctions and airstrikes. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 June 2026 The results have appeared significant, with teachers reporting students more focused during lessons and parents reporting their children are sleeping better. Leigh Kiniry, CBS News, 15 June 2026 Vivi Sanchez Salinas with MiSalud, a nonprofit that contracts with farms to offer counseling services, said the stress of potential immigration enforcement may hamper productivity and show up in the form of physical ailments, for example, trouble sleeping, stomach issues and headaches. Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 The sleeping alcove offers more privacy than the typical studio due to floor-to-ceiling built-ins. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 June 2026 An additional 20 housekeeping cottages, sleeping up to six, are available at the lodge. Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 7 June 2026 These zones changed throughout the mission for sleeping, eating, taking pictures, calling home and of course, doing science. New Atlas, 6 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
  • When that fire started four years ago, Zowey McCue was asleep in a locked bathroom, where a plywood slab placed over the tub served as her makeshift bed, officials said.
    Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 15 June 2026
  • The memory foam layers adjust to your sleep position, which makes falling asleep easy.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • Now, some 80 years later, researchers have uncovered the servicemen’s final resting place.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
  • The resting of players isn’t going away, particularly as sports science continues to emphasize recovery and injury prevention.
    Nick Friedell, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • The islands, which sit about 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers) southwest of mainland Australia have long been an isolated sanctuary for breeding birds and marine mammals.
    Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
  • There were also breeding facilities in the state.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • Lily is the quickest to figure out the detective stories that George reads them every evening in the field, but otherwise smarts count for little in a quiet life of grazing and dozing.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
  • There’s no dozing off in his sessions.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The New World screwworm's larvae eat live flesh and fluids instead of dead material, with females laying their eggs in open wounds and mucous membranes after mating only once in their monthslong lives.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • By mating with sterile flies, the females don't produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

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