hibernation

noun

Definition of hibernationnext
as in slumber

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 hibernation The resort has slipped into hibernation, leaving behind a concrete skeleton of hotels and apartment blocks that on the busiest winter weekends can accommodate 20,000 visitors. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Mars moving into Gemini kicks you out of the hibernation phase and into full throttle action. — Usa Today, USA Today, 28 June 2026 These fish enter a hibernation-like state when the water temperature drops below 45 degrees, lying inactively on river and lake bottoms until spring warms things again. — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026 But the private Texas Central project is in hibernation due to skyrocketing costs before construction ever started. — Baruch Feigenbaum, Oc Register, 15 June 2026 Warmth and access to human food can shorten hibernation too, and where that happens the active season runs longer, into more of the months people are outside. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 When spring comes, the queen emerges from hibernation and begins to build a new nest. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026 Five orphaned black bears from Nevada, El Dorado and Calaveras counties survived winter hibernation and were healthy and active following an experimental rehabilitation effort, California wildlife officials said. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026 Maryland’s identity is intertwined with the luminous blue crab, which builds up fat reserves in the cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay during winter hibernation, giving it a bold, rich flavor. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hibernation
  1. slumber
  2. coma
  3. rest
  4. torpor
  5. sleep
  6. hypnosis
Noun
  • Mighty ice breakers moored in their summer slumber are the only reminder of the bitter Baltic winters.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
  • But with the weather warming as Japan has entered summer, the bears have emerged from their slumber – and are heading back into cities and towns.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Definition of slumber
Noun
  • In May, the singer had been placed into an induced coma after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026
  • Four decades after contributing the song to the film, Tyler died July 8 — Bacon’s 68th birthday — in Portugal, two months after she was placed into an induced coma following intestinal surgery.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
Definition of coma
Noun
  • To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2026
  • For a safer outdoor work environment, follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s guidance by scheduling regular rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned places.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of rest
Noun
  • With movie audiences drifting off to TV, studio release schedules featured torpor-inducing fare like A Man For All Seasons or The Alamo.
    — Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 June 2026
  • San José, the Costa Rican capital, in all its throughways and recreation spots, transforms into an emotional terrain through which all the existential torpor and dislocation reverberate.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Definition of torpor
Noun
  • Cotliar’s daughter, Sharon Cotliar-Zweifach, confirmed that Cotliar died in his sleep early Monday at his home in Newport Beach.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Owners who use their equipment daily say the payoff shows up in convenience, faster recovery and better sleep, especially when spa memberships or medical recovery are the alternative.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of sleep
Noun
  • Where did the hypnosis fail to work?
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
  • In December 2024, the National Security Archive and ProQuest declassified about 1,200 documents pertaining to the program, detailing the CIA's experiments with drugs, hypnosis and other mind control techniques during the era.
    — Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2026
Definition of hypnosis

Browse Nearby Words

hibernating
hibernation
hibernations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hibernation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hibernation. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hibernation

Nglish: Translation of hibernation for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All