sleeping 1 of 3

Definition of sleepingnext

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
Since there's no dedicated living room in the Starling, this spot forms the heart of the home and it can also be turned into an additional sleeping area when required. Adam Williams march 22, New Atlas, 22 Mar. 2026 The layout includes a fold-away kitchen gallery with a wine rack, am entertainment area with an L-shape sofa that converts to a bed, a spacious bathroom with a stand-up shower, and a main sleeping area with a zero-gravity bed (a schematics image suggests the vehicle comfortably sleeps four). Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026 The site will be home to 60 sleeping cabins that will likely be constructed by 2027. Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026 Bulger blamed his sleeping issues on his participation in a LSD project while incarcerated in the Federal prison system. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026 About 356 feet long, the station is bigger than a six-bedroom house and has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026 With a lightweight sleeping pad and backpack, plus a modular duffel box and water filtration kit, my adventures are about to get a lot more ultralight—and ultra-organized. Amelia Arvesen, Outside, 16 Mar. 2026 There’s a loft set up for the sleeping area, although a spacious one — 21 feet long, per the listing — plus enough room downstairs for both a full dining table and a proper living area. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 16 Mar. 2026 In her closet were seven Ungaros, three Rykiels, a Kamali bathing suit and a Kamali sleeping-bag coat, five Kenzo dresses, two pieces from the Ballets Russes collection of Saint Laurent—all of which were trades or payments in kind, none of them mothballed, but instead worn ostentatiously and often. Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
I'mPhaedra Trethan, presenting for your National Puppy Day pleasure these sleeping cuties. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026 Daithí opens the door and unbuckles a still-sleeping Eloise, lifting her out of her car seat. Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026 People covered by strips of cardboard sleeping under freeway overpasses. John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026 But the sleeping area is the room most loved by the owners—the bespoke headboard serves as a storage element integrated into the closet. Ludovica Stevan, Architectural Digest, 22 Mar. 2026 After Aaronson opened the scoring in the 12th minute, former Rapid Calvin Harris assisted Shapi Suleymanov for the equalizer in the 44th on a run in behind that caught Jackson Travis sleeping. Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026 The Starling tackles these challenges with a flexible layout that squeezes in three sleeping areas and a multipurpose living area. Adam Williams march 22, New Atlas, 22 Mar. 2026 Once constructed, the sleeping cabin program will provide wrap-around care, meals, and case management services to residents with the goal of transitioning them into permanent housing. Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026 If the vehicle detects that the driver is distracted or sleeping when the program is on, the vehicle will come to a complete stop and call emergency services. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
  • Blue light suppresses melatonin and makes falling back asleep significantly harder.
    Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The post included pictures of Norris carrying her as a baby, the two of them sitting next to each other on the beach, one of her asleep on his lap as an adult and another of her asleep on his lap as a baby.
    Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The church had previously been identified as a possible resting place of the 17th-century soldier.
    Reuters, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
  • That cemetery is the final resting place for stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Gene Autry, Buster Keaton and Steve Allen.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • One of the babies was left napping in the nursery.
    Denise Schrier Cetta, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • For older children, napping may reflect individual sleep needs, efforts to make up for shorter nighttime sleep or structured rest periods in after-school programs.
    Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • She was arraigned on charges of operating an unlicensed dog-breeding facility and wire fraud.
    J.D. Miles, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Only through breeding this rose with other types did vivid yellow roses — along with new hybrid colors such as apricot, orange, copper, and reddish-orange — become regular garden fare.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The most likely explanation for this mirror image pattern is mating behavior.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
  • His team found an association between a symbol that looks like the letter Y and the time at which the animals depicted on the object gave birth, as well as a link between an X and the time of year the animals were seen mating.
    Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • There’s no dozing off in his sessions.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.

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