sleep out

verb

slept out; sleeping out; sleeps out
Synonyms of sleep outnext

intransitive verb

: to sleep outdoors

Examples of sleep out 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.
Growing up within Grand Canyon National Park, Shirley Jo Aiken spent every night sleeping out under the stars with her siblings, Mercy and Silas. — Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Instead of focusing only on game drives and Big Five sightings, the experience can also include tracking wildlife, reading animal behavior, understanding subtle signs in the landscape, sleeping out under the stars, astronomy lessons and wildlife seminars. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 All those people who sleep out there. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026 In 2009, William secretly took the headline-making step of sleeping out on the streets of London one night. — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sleep out

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleep out was in 1818

Rhymes for sleep out

See All Rhymes for sleep out

Browse Nearby Words

sleep on it
sleep out
sleepover
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleep out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleep%20out. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sleep out

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sleep out

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 matriculate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All