sleepwalk

verb

sleep·​walk ˈslēp-ˌwȯk How to pronounce sleepwalk (audio)
sleepwalked; sleepwalking; sleepwalks

intransitive verb

1
: to walk while or as if while asleep
2
: to proceed in a passive often lethargic manner
sleepwalked through the workday
sleepwalk noun
sleepwalker
ˈslēp-ˌwȯ-kər How to pronounce sleepwalk (audio)
noun

Examples of sleepwalk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
My wife, Momo, tells me her mother, Ulrike, only sleepwalks during full moon nights. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026 Injuries will happen, and the gap between the managers paying attention and the ones sleepwalking widens every single week. — John Laghezza, New York Times, 12 June 2026 Commenters on the police department’s social media updates suggested that the man could have been sleepwalking. — Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026 Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Donnie, a teenager struggling with his mental health, who begins sleepwalking and experiencing visions that take a toll on his everyday life. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleepwalk

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleepwalk was in 1842

Rhymes for sleepwalk

See All Rhymes for sleepwalk

Browse Nearby Words

sleep together
sleepwalk
sleepwear
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleepwalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleepwalk. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sleepwalk

verb
sleep·​walk ˈslēp-ˌwȯk How to pronounce sleepwalk (audio)
: to walk while or as if while asleep
sleepwalker
-ˌwȯ-kər How to pronounce sleepwalk (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sleepwalk

Nglish: Translation of sleepwalk for Spanish Speakers

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