as in asleep
being in a state of suspended consciousness
a roomful of sleeping preschoolers at a daycare center
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in resting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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Recent Examples of sleeping
Megan Schaltegger, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
People with strong circadian rhythms are usually able to stick to regular times for sleeping and activity, even with schedule or season changes, experts say.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Luckily, there are ways to keep mice at bay that don’t involve placing traps or poison in your sleeping quarters.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 6 Jan. 2026
Most have dorm-style sleeping arrangements, though some also offer individual rooms, Patton and other activists said.
—Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026
Previous renderings also showed a bathroom, rear master bedroom, extra sleeping area courtesy of fold-out sofa beds, and an outdoor deck right next to the slide-out.
—New Atlas, 5 Jan. 2026
Haven-1 is designed to be a comfortable, livable ship—with private sleeping quarters for each astronaut, high-speed Internet, a fold-down dining table for communal meals, and a large domed window to provide constant views of the Earth below.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2 Jan. 2026
There are roughly nine hundred thousand people living in tents and on the streets without running water—sitting, sleeping, cooking, and going to the toilet in the same place, which is usually a tent that does not protect them from rain, or from sun or heat.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
Blankets, sleeping bags, a couple of emergency thermal blankets, extra gloves, hat, scarf, socks, and hand warmers.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Those years — nights, sometimes weeks, sleeping outdoors — would later inform the script of Being Charlie, the semi-autobiographical film he co-wrote.
—Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Each person's circadian rhythm, often defined as the body's internal 24-hour clock, keeps the body operating on a healthy pattern of sleeping and waking.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Andrews’ military history dates to the Civil War, when Union troops used a church near Camp Springs, Maryland, as sleeping quarters.
—Will Weissert, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2026
Those in their fifties and beyond require the same amount of sleep as younger adults—and may actually benefit from sleeping more to offset nightly wake-ups from aches and pains, medication side effects, or dealing with the need to urinate more frequently in the middle of the night.
—Emma Loewe, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Its distinctive but simple form fits neatly in the truck and gives buyers a transformable interior for sleeping, eating and relaxing.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
The campaign reprises and expands the concept of the collection’s look book images unveiled earlier this year, which saw Michele’s tribe pictured on a bed, mainly sleeping but also occasionally playing the guitar, doing a crossword puzzle, taking selfies or having a snack.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
Despite vacationing on a luxury yacht, Bronwyn spent the night sleeping on a pool chair on the deck rather than spending the night having to share a bed with Britani.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
They’re combined with a non-toxic, hypoallergenic down alternative filling, creating a plush and luxurious sleeping experience that’s designed for back, side, and stomach sleepers.
—Megan Schaltegger, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
People with strong circadian rhythms are usually able to stick to regular times for sleeping and activity, even with schedule or season changes, experts say.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Luckily, there are ways to keep mice at bay that don’t involve placing traps or poison in your sleeping quarters.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 6 Jan. 2026
Most have dorm-style sleeping arrangements, though some also offer individual rooms, Patton and other activists said.
—Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026
Previous renderings also showed a bathroom, rear master bedroom, extra sleeping area courtesy of fold-out sofa beds, and an outdoor deck right next to the slide-out.
—New Atlas, 5 Jan. 2026
Haven-1 is designed to be a comfortable, livable ship—with private sleeping quarters for each astronaut, high-speed Internet, a fold-down dining table for communal meals, and a large domed window to provide constant views of the Earth below.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2 Jan. 2026
There are roughly nine hundred thousand people living in tents and on the streets without running water—sitting, sleeping, cooking, and going to the toilet in the same place, which is usually a tent that does not protect them from rain, or from sun or heat.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
Blankets, sleeping bags, a couple of emergency thermal blankets, extra gloves, hat, scarf, socks, and hand warmers.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
Melatonin also promoted sleep in the animals and scientists observed them sleeping at night and taking midday naps.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Those years — nights, sometimes weeks, sleeping outdoors — would later inform the script of Being Charlie, the semi-autobiographical film he co-wrote.
—Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Each person's circadian rhythm, often defined as the body's internal 24-hour clock, keeps the body operating on a healthy pattern of sleeping and waking.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Andrews’ military history dates to the Civil War, when Union troops used a church near Camp Springs, Maryland, as sleeping quarters.
—Will Weissert, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2026
Those in their fifties and beyond require the same amount of sleep as younger adults—and may actually benefit from sleeping more to offset nightly wake-ups from aches and pains, medication side effects, or dealing with the need to urinate more frequently in the middle of the night.
—Emma Loewe, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Its distinctive but simple form fits neatly in the truck and gives buyers a transformable interior for sleeping, eating and relaxing.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
The campaign reprises and expands the concept of the collection’s look book images unveiled earlier this year, which saw Michele’s tribe pictured on a bed, mainly sleeping but also occasionally playing the guitar, doing a crossword puzzle, taking selfies or having a snack.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
Despite vacationing on a luxury yacht, Bronwyn spent the night sleeping on a pool chair on the deck rather than spending the night having to share a bed with Britani.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
-
Research repeatedly finds that people who get even moderate amounts of exercise during the day fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer compared to those who don’t move as much.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The couple’s 1-year-old child was also found asleep in her crib, unharmed.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This allows the head and neck to remain supported across different working and resting postures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The city’s signature park is a popular resting place for birds migrating along the east coast.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The low, boxy silhouette is ripe for secret-sharing or cat-napping.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The 36-year-old Nickelodeon alum, who reportedly struggles with addiction to meth and habitually turns down local authorities’ offers of treatment and temporary housing, was napping on a stoop Monday, according to footage obtained by TMZ.—
Jami Ganz,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Late Teledyne founder Henry Singleton started his namesake ranch in the 1980s, and it’s grown into one of the nation’s largest cattle- and horse-breeding operations.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Amid heavy opposition from the horse-breeding industry, a Florida House panel Wednesday backed a proposal to eliminate a requirement that the state's two remaining thoroughbred tracks hold races to be able to offer other types of gambling.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the animal kingdom, mammals play dead so that a predator will lose interest in them; some female dragonflies do it to avoid mating.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
22 Dec. 2025
-
These close evolutionary neighbors sometimes share DNA, including potentially beneficial mutations, by mating across the species lines defined by humans’ classification systems.—
David Toews,
The Conversation,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There’s no dozing off in his sessions.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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