sleep
verb (used without object)
to take the rest afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness; cease being awake.
were sleeping
-
past progressiveof sleep.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Crews believe the women were sleeping when they were caught off guard by the quickly rising tide and dragged into the ocean, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
That suggests melatonin may have boosted DNA repair while participants were sleeping after night work.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
Putin said the attack took place as the students were sleeping.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
Several were sleeping in a nook by the stairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
“There was a while there that you’d never take it off, even when you were sleeping or taking a bath.”
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
