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Showing results for fall asleep. Search instead for To fall asleep.
Synonyms

fall asleep

Idioms  

  1. Go to sleep; also, cease paying attention. For example, As soon as the lights were dimmed he fell asleep, or His lectures are so dull that I fall asleep. The literal usage, which uses the verb fall in the sense of “succumb,” dates from about 1300; the figurative is several centuries newer. Also see asleep at the switch.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Chen began by massaging my scalp for about 10 minutes, as I tried not to fall asleep.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

It knows how long it takes you to fall asleep and reports alleged wakeups in the middle of the night.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Mercurial and unreliable in the studio, Stewart would sometimes fall asleep on the couch during recording sessions or lie down in the vocal booth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

In these cases, melatonin can help children fall asleep more quickly, extend total sleep time, and improve overall quality of life for caregivers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

Bringing a book outside to read, I would fall asleep almost immediately in my chair; when I took the boat out I soon tired of rowing and allowed myself to drift all afternoon.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.