sleep-in

1 of 2

adjective

ˈslēp-ˈin How to pronounce sleep-in (audio)
Synonyms of sleep-innext
: that lives at the place of employment
a sleep-in maid

sleep in

2 of 2

verb

slept in; sleeping in; sleeps in

intransitive verb

1
: to sleep where one is employed
2
a
: oversleep
b
: to sleep late intentionally

Examples of sleep-in 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.
Adjective
Separating those two sleep-in ends are the entry-side kitchen block and far-side dry bathroom. — C.c. Weiss may 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2026 Back then, Jackson flew to Greenville to organize marches and lead a sleep-in to reach their goal. — Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
Justrvn Sleep Earplugs The struggles of sleeping in hotel rooms next to the sound of construction work, heavy traffic noise, and people’s voices have made packing good earplugs a non-negotiable for me. — Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026 In the early days of the war, the jail became so overcrowded with Ukrainian prisoners that many inmates had to sleep in shifts, or even take turns standing up. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleep-in

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1951, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleep-in was in 1827

Rhymes for sleep-in

See All Rhymes for sleep-in

Browse Nearby Words

sleepily
sleep-in
sleep in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleep-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleep-in. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All