hibernates

verb

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

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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
  • Every night, while most of New York sleeps, Queens is wide awake.
    — Tom Grech, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In the city that never sleeps, Halloween, which falls on a Saturday this year, is the official start for all the holiday fun to come.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleeps
Verb
  • Garcia-Herrero said Europe's leverage largely rests on its position as a major destination market and the presence of large shipping companies that have avoided the Arctic because of environmental and commercial risks.
    — Lee Ying Shan,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This has all but ensured that Democrats will retake the House in November, but the Senate rests on a knife’s edge.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of rests
Verb
  • The rear tire plays a different role from its conventional use on roads.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But the technology operating above Earth plays an enormous role in everyday life.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 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

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hibernates
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Cite this Entry

“Hibernates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hibernates. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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