How to Use hibernate in a Sentence

hibernate

verb
  • These frogs can be active all year round and do not hibernate.
    — OregonLive.com, 3 Feb. 2018
  • Of course the zoo has bears, but those bears are hibernating.
    — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2018
  • Keeping the caves closed reduces this threat and lets the bats hibernate in peace.
    — Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024
  • Cold temps may be creeping in, but your travel dreams don’t have to hibernate.
    — Kimberly Richardson, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • There have been reports of brown bears, too warm to hibernate, out looking for meals, too.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2019
  • Bengel said a dozen or so bats hibernate in the mine beginning in the late fall.
    — Dennis Hohenberger, courant.com, 12 Sep. 2019
  • But shouldn’t the bears be hibernating?
    — Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
  • So what are their go-to tricks for creating a space worth hibernating in?
    — Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
  • This smallest bear in the world can hibernate for decades before coming back to life.
    — Discover Magazine, 2 Nov. 2022
  • Voles do not hibernate and are active throughout the year, mostly at dawn and dusk.
    — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 20 Mar. 2021
  • The genomes show that some mammals like bears evolved to be better at hibernating.
    — Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2023
  • Three months hibernating and the birth of her cubs dropped her weight to 180 pounds.
    — Rj Sangosti, The Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2017
  • All hail Holly whose healthy heft will help her hibernate until the spring.
    — Jeff Parrott, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Oct. 2019
  • The Bulldog spirit does not hibernate in times of stress and, yes, even fear.
    — cleveland, 30 Aug. 2020
  • Polar bears, which rely on winter ice to hunt, don’t hibernate at all.
    — Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 22 June 2023
  • While the queens get ready to hibernate, the wasps that stay behind are working hard to feed themselves.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Groundhogs are one of the largest mammals that hibernate every year.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
  • If your grill has been hibernating for a few months, start with a deep clean using a wire-free brush and vinegar.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
  • After two weeks of hot, dry weather, the hydrangea may hibernate.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 20 May 2024
  • The young are born with fangs and venom and may even feed before hibernating for the winter.
    — National Geographic, 22 July 2019
  • The second is to hibernate, re-centre and refill the tank in readiness for the year ahead.
    — Sairah Ashman, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
  • But with the deepest part of winter upon us, not all bears are hibernating.
    — Damon Arthur, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024
  • There's no need to hibernate inside when winter's chill arrives.
    — Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 4 Jan. 2026
  • So maybe the egg doesn’t hold a chicken, but an ancient creature hibernating for ages.
    — Jeff Chen, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
  • Big Bear Lake used to hibernate when the snow melted, but not anymore.
    — Roy M. Wallack, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2019
  • Though there are no bears roaming through the city streets, there are plenty of people hibernating.
    — Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2017
  • When the snow falls and the wind howls, the people of Quebec City don’t hibernate.
    — Stephanie Rosenbloom, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2020
  • This disease causes a fungus-like growth to spread across the bats’ noses, faces and wings while hibernating.
    — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2023
  • Once the weather gets cold enough, the bears will hibernate, and many scavengers become less active.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Spring has arrived at last, but Tesla bears might want to crawl back into their caves to hibernate some more.
    — Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hibernate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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