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sleeper cell

American  
[slee-per sel] / ˈsli pər ˌsɛl /

noun

sleeper cells plural
  1. an organized group of undercover individuals, especially those involved in espionage or terrorist activities.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

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Some people were crazy about how he had a beard and said that he was in a sleeper cell and all this stuff.

From Salon Jul. 20, 2026

Natasha, Yelena, and their “parents” were sent to Ohio to be Russian sleeper cell agents and send info back to their home country.

From Slate Jul. 8, 2021

Her group, the Stonehenge Alliance, which had become something of a sleeper cell, snapped back into action, writing to ministers even before the new scheme was announced by David Cameron in December 2014.

From The Guardian Feb. 8, 2019

"Why did you want to be put in a sleeper cell?" asked Mr Bhajwa.

From BBC Jul. 2, 2018

You're a --" I fished in my memory for vocabulary words culled from spy thrillers -- "you're a sleeper cell.

From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory

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