sleep 1 of 2

noun

ˈslēp How to pronounce sleep (audio)
Definition of sleepnext
1
as in bed
a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself neither of them has been getting much sleep since the baby was born

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in death
the state of being dead a grieving widower longing to join his beloved wife in her eternal sleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fate
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities regretfully put their terminally ill dog to sleep

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sleep

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rest
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

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

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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 sleep
Noun
Doctors also note that many factors influence digestion, from stress and sleep to medications, hormones and diet, and microbiome research is still evolving. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Troye Sivan isn’t losing a wink of sleep over the concept of first-week sales. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
This snuggly solution solves for the anxiety of feeling exposed while sleeping and keeps you warm enough on a drafty plane. — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026 During dry seasons, herders can move 100 miles (roughly 160 kilometers) with their livestock, sleeping under the stars or in makeshift shacks along the way. — Anne Pisor, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleep
  1. bed
  2. death
  3. fate
  4. rest
  5. breed
  6. slumber
  7. dead
  8. demise
Noun
  • Think custom modern furniture, beds dressed in cloud-like linens, and soothing palettes of cream, sand and light timber.
    — Stephanie Orma, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Cole had risen from bed, turned on the light by her sister’s desk, then left her alone.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of bed
Noun
  • Styles’ tribute to Parton is one of the innumerable remembrances across the globe following her death after a brief battle with cancer at 80.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The story follows Ana, a young Black French woman who, following the death of her grandmother, travels to her matriarch’s birth city of Belo Horizonte.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of death
Noun
  • Former Boilermakers union members convicted in June of racketeering conspiracy — including ex-International President Newton Jones — will be waiting three more months to learn their fate.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Kohl’s decided in 2016 to close one of its big box stores in Roswell, but no one knew the building’s fate would be stuck in purgatory for the next decade.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fate
Verb
  • Clancy’s mom had her arm resting on the back of the seat at times.
    — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • From here, the choice is yours to sit, rest and enjoy the moon rise.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rest
Verb
  • Ocean-going seabirds feed at sea, return to the cliffs to breed, their guano transporting marine nutrients onto land and fertilizing the ground below.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Love emphasized that a week of partying and art viewing on the playa can breed ferocity.
    — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of breed
Noun
  • Whereas Clara’s journey is one into slumber, inaction, passivity, and perpetuating the system.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Fall is almost here, which means my flip-flops and sandals are seeing their final days of 2026, and my boots and sneakers are waking up from a long slumber.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of slumber
Noun
  • Ronald Exantus was released from Kentucky Department of Corrections custody July 29 after completing the sentence imposed for assaulting Logan Tipton's father and sisters during the 2015 home invasion that left the 6-year-old dead.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Fire crews soon pronounced the driver of the Ram dead at the scene.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of dead
Noun
  • The losses linked to the demise of these groups are difficult to quantify, but participants and advocates say the impacts will reverberate across federal agencies for years.
    — Katia Riddle, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Syrian civil war that began during that period eventually saw the demise of the Assad regime – Hafez’s son Bashar had continued his father’s hard-line legacy after coming to power in 2000.
    — Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of demise

Phrases Containing sleep

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sleeks
sleep
sleeper
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Cite this Entry

“Sleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleep. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sleep

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sleep

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