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
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
as in resting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of sleeping
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Nearby lies a king-sized bed, which is the only sleeping area.
—New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2025
Upstairs is a sleeping area and a nook that’s currently staged for a home office along with access to your own private terrace, because why not.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 15 Sep. 2025
The prototype adds a pop-up tent to the rugged camper van, increasing sleeping capacity in the process.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025
The standard layout has a primary bedroom area on the main level and two additional lofted sleeping areas, made possible by airy 16-foot ceilings, sleeping up to six people in total.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
Suites have floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces, plus intelligent blackout systems that create ideal sleeping sanctuaries.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Mark your calendars and get ready - your sleeping patterns may thank you.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
So what type of bed will best fit your snoozer’s sleeping position?
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2025
Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The researchers were surprised to find that participants with chronic insomnia who reported sleeping more than usual had fewer white matter spots in the brain — areas where small vessel disease may have damaged brain tissue, which have been linked to cerebrovascular disease.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
However, some expressed concern over the fact that OP is sleeping while his baby daughter is still awake.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Outside of illness, allergies, smoking, breathing through your mouth while sleeping and going under general anesthesia can also cause your throat to hurt when swallowing.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Robbie cradles his sleeping child; bonds with his best friend, Cliff (Raúl Castillo), during a discussion about dating and intimacy; and then carefully removes his gun from a lockbox in preparation for a violent raid.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025
Certain factors, like dealing with stressful events or situations, taking certain medications, or not sleeping enough can impact cortisol levels throughout the day.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 17 Sep. 2025
There is no headboard, but when placed against a wall or in a corner, there’s still plenty of space to lean and lounge when not sleeping.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2025
The city of Grants Pass, Oregon, had punished people using camping paraphernalia like blankets or pillows while sleeping outside.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
That represents a 6% increase from last year, despite a state law banning public sleeping.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Nearby lies a king-sized bed, which is the only sleeping area.
—New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2025
Upstairs is a sleeping area and a nook that’s currently staged for a home office along with access to your own private terrace, because why not.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 15 Sep. 2025
The prototype adds a pop-up tent to the rugged camper van, increasing sleeping capacity in the process.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025
The standard layout has a primary bedroom area on the main level and two additional lofted sleeping areas, made possible by airy 16-foot ceilings, sleeping up to six people in total.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
Suites have floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces, plus intelligent blackout systems that create ideal sleeping sanctuaries.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Mark your calendars and get ready - your sleeping patterns may thank you.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
So what type of bed will best fit your snoozer’s sleeping position?
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Even modest circadian misalignment, characterized by sleeping and waking at hours that are out of sync with your body's clock, has been shown in Scientific Reports to impair sustained attention and reduce the ability to learn and assimilate new information.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The researchers were surprised to find that participants with chronic insomnia who reported sleeping more than usual had fewer white matter spots in the brain — areas where small vessel disease may have damaged brain tissue, which have been linked to cerebrovascular disease.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
However, some expressed concern over the fact that OP is sleeping while his baby daughter is still awake.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Outside of illness, allergies, smoking, breathing through your mouth while sleeping and going under general anesthesia can also cause your throat to hurt when swallowing.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Robbie cradles his sleeping child; bonds with his best friend, Cliff (Raúl Castillo), during a discussion about dating and intimacy; and then carefully removes his gun from a lockbox in preparation for a violent raid.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025
Certain factors, like dealing with stressful events or situations, taking certain medications, or not sleeping enough can impact cortisol levels throughout the day.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 17 Sep. 2025
There is no headboard, but when placed against a wall or in a corner, there’s still plenty of space to lean and lounge when not sleeping.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2025
The city of Grants Pass, Oregon, had punished people using camping paraphernalia like blankets or pillows while sleeping outside.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
-
Downstairs, at the other end of the house, the kids were asleep in their beds, and Lacey was all the way across town in the hospital with their new brother.—
T. Coraghessan Boyle,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
-
While most people are fast asleep, one mother is already up and about—and her unusual morning schedule has gone viral on Instagram.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
CFMoto is not resting on its laurels, having just recently revealed its first-ever inline-four sports motorcycle.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The visible-light photo, taken by one of Maxar Technologies' WorldView Legion satellites orbiting at an altitude of 312 miles (518 kilometers), shows what appears to be a fleet of fighter jets resting on the ramp adjacent to the runway surrounded by brown, arid soil.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Experts recommend knowing a parrot's hormone cycle and adjusting care during breeding season to reduce stress and confusion.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Under the new Fish and Wildlife interim pintail harvest strategy, hunters in all four flyways are expected to have a three-pintail daily bag limit option for next year's 2026–'27 season based on this year's breeding population results.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Though his record was overtaken, Maru maintained a devoted following on his channel, Mugumogu — with nearly 900,000 subscribers — where curious minds will find clips of Maru napping, wearing costumes, and routinely diving into cardboard boxes.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Time your packing – Box up belongings while your pup is on a walk or napping.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The disease spreads in koala populations through reproduction and social behavior connected to mating.—
Amy Woodyatt,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The colony quickly descended into indiscriminate violence, stopped mating, and died out.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Often when faced with a trauma, a redwood will swell a bank of dormant buds and woody tissue to create burls.—
Greg Sullivan,
AFAR Media,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Note that plants go dormant in areas that experience hard freezes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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