hibernates

verb

present tense third-person singular of hibernate
as in sleeps
to be in an inactive state bears hibernating in their dens

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 hibernates The reptile, which hibernates individually in holes, burrows or rock crevices, prefers to live along ridgelines and bluffs, especially on south and southwest facing slopes. — Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hibernates
  1. sleeps
  2. rests
  3. plays
  4. dozes
  5. idles
Verb
  • The all-new Octola II Ultra Lodge sleeps 17 with both the exact price and location kept hush-hush, and all the mind-boggling logistics taken care of by Octola.
    — Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The newest Harvard Business School professor never sleeps, can hear the same pitch 50 times and technically isn’t an instructor at all.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sleeps
Verb
  • But as Bengals fans know all too well, this season rests on whether Burrow can stay healthy.
    — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The receiver-in-canal (RIC) design has a main body that rests behind the ear.
    — John Higgins, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rests
Verb
  • Sabally’s younger sister Nyara, who plays for the Toronto Tempo, is yet to make her comeback from a calf injury, while Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich, another key player, is just back from a foot injury.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In adults, the hormone plays a role in blood sugar control, bone density and muscle growth.
    — Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of plays
Verb
  • On some of my visits, Marsha dozes most of the time.
    — Marc Silver, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Rather, the protagonist dozes right through it.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of dozes
Verb
  • As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
  • Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of idles

Browse Nearby Words

hibernated
hibernates
hibernating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hibernates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hibernates. Accessed 5 Sep. 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!

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