sleeping 1 of 3

sleeping

2 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

sleeping

3 of 3

noun

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
Internet users can’t get enough of the sleeping beauty, and the clip went viral with over 502,600 views and more than 69,100 likes at the time of writing. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 This includes Casper’s Snow Max Cooling Hybrid Mattress, which AD contributor Wilder Davies described as having great temperature-regulating qualities and support for multiple sleep positions, especially side sleeping. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2025 Every little detail about her fascinated me—her toys, her tiny clothes, her sleeping rhythms. Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 Buyers can option in a loft bedroom to increase sleeping capacity if preferred, and can also influence the choice of materials at extra cost. New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2025 Be sure to bundle up very warmly; perhaps bring a sleeping bag. Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025 He was also given crampons, climbing equipment, and sleeping bags. Bhadra Sharma, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025 Depending on the cause, adjusting your sleeping position may help stop your snoring altogether. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025 On the second floor, there’s laundry and a sleeping area with a picture-frame-size window, and above that, a bonus room right off the terrace that can work as an office or guest accommodations. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
Reaffirming the idea in 1990, the AAP reported that American children were spending more time watching television than any other activity, apart from sleeping. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025 But several had no mat at all, sleeping on the bathroom floor next to feces and urine in a room that housed 10 too many people, a filing alleged. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025 Habitually sleeping more than nine or ten hours has been linked to higher risks of obesity, metabolic problems and even mortality, though such findings may reflect underlying health issues rather than sleep itself. Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025 Aside from the classic pillow design, there are more shapes catered to all sleeping styles, including a crescent design for side and back sleepers and a cutout option for side sleepers. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2025 Everybody was upstairs sleeping. Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 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 The homes range from 260 to 360 square feet and will include a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping areas. La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
  • During the babysitter's watch, one of the kids, who is usually up, was asleep the entire time.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Her father, Ron, last recalled seeing Bradley asleep on the cabin’s balcony.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Another image showed a photo of two people resting their feet on an outdoor fire pit, overlooking a river.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This risks one dish getting cold or resting too long while the other is cooking.
    Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Morrissey explodes the comparatively respectable conventions of prior Frankenstein adaptations by embracing the deranged erotic and fascist implications of building and breeding new life.
    Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Animals at this time are moving for migration, and they’re distracted by breeding and hunting season.
    Owen Clarke, Outside, 20 Oct. 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
Verb
  • Some were actively reproducing, with females found carrying eggs and males observed successfully mating.
    James T. Stroud, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Male ratfish have a structure called a tenaculum, which is essentially a retractable rod tipped with a chandelier of teeth that springs out of their forehead to grip females during mating.
    Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There’s no dozing off in his sessions.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The latent varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the body after a person has chicken pox.
    Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Planting Too Late The best time to plant fruit trees is in spring or fall, when the trees are dormant and the weather is still mild.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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