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
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
Basic units start at just $35 a night for travelers with their own sleeping gear, while furnished options—complete with fresh linens and a small fridge—range from $55 to $60.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026
Expect cryotherapy pods, hyperbaric chambers, altitude training rooms, thermal pools and molecular nutrition labs, paired with five-star sleeping accommodations and architecture designed to feel restorative on its own.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Some people are working multiple jobs or shifts that cut into their sleeping time.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Tents line the sidewalk on North Sacramento Avenue in Chicago, private sleeping quarters abutting the public way.
—Jeremy Wolff, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
That widens the interior sleeping floor to 55 in (140 cm), which is actually wider than the mattresses in the newest Volkswagen California models.
—C.c. Weiss
may 01, New Atlas, 1 May 2026
The council banned sleeping at City Hall with a 6-3 vote last year.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
This history begins in the trees, roughly 14 to 18 million years ago, according to evolutionary biologists, when our great ape ancestors likely developed sleeping platforms.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
When scientists initially studied attempts to learn while sleeping, the results seemed promising.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
The sleeping platform includes a cutout that lifts up and secures across the trailer on two support strips on the walls.
—C.c. Weiss
may 01, New Atlas, 1 May 2026
The space is solar-powered, sleeping up to four people on two queen-size beds.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
According to the lawsuit, Godinez allegedly approached the then-4-year-old girl while the rest of her class was sleeping and molested her, according to the lawsuit.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Singh, 67, was sleeping when the explosion occurred.
—Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of the rest are up for adoption, including two 1-year-old Göttingen minipigs — named Barrigan and Mulligan — sleeping near Amber and who were sent to the network by a Kansas City area testing lab after being used in research.
—Eric Adler
april 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
Beard pointed out that airline pilots, for instance, often stay in downtown hotels and could be sleeping at any time of the day depending on their flight schedules.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026
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
The Host Ready app includes practical information on topics such as food, religion, general background, sleeping and meal schedules.
—Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
Basic units start at just $35 a night for travelers with their own sleeping gear, while furnished options—complete with fresh linens and a small fridge—range from $55 to $60.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026
Expect cryotherapy pods, hyperbaric chambers, altitude training rooms, thermal pools and molecular nutrition labs, paired with five-star sleeping accommodations and architecture designed to feel restorative on its own.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Some people are working multiple jobs or shifts that cut into their sleeping time.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Tents line the sidewalk on North Sacramento Avenue in Chicago, private sleeping quarters abutting the public way.
—Jeremy Wolff, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
That widens the interior sleeping floor to 55 in (140 cm), which is actually wider than the mattresses in the newest Volkswagen California models.
—C.c. Weiss
may 01, New Atlas, 1 May 2026
The council banned sleeping at City Hall with a 6-3 vote last year.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
This history begins in the trees, roughly 14 to 18 million years ago, according to evolutionary biologists, when our great ape ancestors likely developed sleeping platforms.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Verb
This leave-on lip sleeping mask delivers deep hydration and antioxidant-rich protection, so your mother will wake up with smooth, supple lips.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
When scientists initially studied attempts to learn while sleeping, the results seemed promising.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
The sleeping platform includes a cutout that lifts up and secures across the trailer on two support strips on the walls.
—C.c. Weiss
may 01, New Atlas, 1 May 2026
The space is solar-powered, sleeping up to four people on two queen-size beds.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
According to the lawsuit, Godinez allegedly approached the then-4-year-old girl while the rest of her class was sleeping and molested her, according to the lawsuit.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Singh, 67, was sleeping when the explosion occurred.
—Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of the rest are up for adoption, including two 1-year-old Göttingen minipigs — named Barrigan and Mulligan — sleeping near Amber and who were sent to the network by a Kansas City area testing lab after being used in research.
—Eric Adler
april 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
Beard pointed out that airline pilots, for instance, often stay in downtown hotels and could be sleeping at any time of the day depending on their flight schedules.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
-
He was advised to turn back along the same route and keep moving to avoid falling asleep through hypothermia.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In the official teaser, Lowen is slinking around the Crawford family house wearing a silk robe while Verity is fast asleep in bed.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Health Highroad also notes that higher vagal tone correlates with lower resting anxiety, better emotional regulation and faster heart rate recovery after stress exposure.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 May 2026
-
Each frog was allowed three leaps to reach its final, measurable resting point.—
Andrew Graham
May 6,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
When one of them crouched to pet the Federicos’ dog Marshall, napping on the floor, Rob explained how Kong dog toys were invented.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While occasional naps have been shown to be refreshing, frequent or prolonged daytime napping in this group has been associated with a variety of health concerns.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lindell’s lab, funded by MARINER, focused on improving crop yield by selectively breeding kelp with desirable qualities — such as nonreproductive capabilities to prevent interbreeding with wild kelp — so that, down the line, farmers could scale up their kelp production.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
-
It will be allowed to continue breeding for its own research purposes.—
Tanya Edwards,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Nature’s drones are male bees that build the walls and octagonal cells of the hive and die after mating.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Signs warned, caution deers mating.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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