Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for hibernate. Search instead for hypernati.
Definitions

hibernate

[hahy-ber-neyt] / ˈhaɪ bərˌneɪt /
VERB
lie dormant; sleep through cold weather
Synonyms


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.

See Examples For:

In “Rare Bird” a woman in 18th-century England finds pleasure in the company of a new friend, who helps her test a claim from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus that swallows hibernate underwater.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Bug hotels provide a safe habitat for insects and small creatures to shelter, hibernate and nest.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

In September 2023, rain followed by Tropical Storm Hilary established conditions for breeding and the subsequent insect activity in a time when the mosquitoes typically begin to hibernate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

The mechanisms animals use to hibernate or slow their metabolism during unfavorable seasonal conditions are similar to those used by resurrecting creatures, who are just rather more extreme about it.

From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2025

As a polar bear, Duane was not obligated to hibernate.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Its full life cycle remains a mystery, but it probably includes a cyst stage that hibernates on the lake bottom until it’s triggered to divide and release new cells.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

One of the largest toads native to North America and remarkably long-lived with a life span reaching 20 years, it hibernates underground for most of the year, resurfacing to breed around the summer monsoon rains.

From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2022

Kay doesn't think Abersoch hibernates in the autumn and winter, but admits the school's closure would be "another stab".

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2021

A white dwarf star gathers hydrogen from its neighbor for 100,000 years, erupts, hibernates, goes through a dwarf-nova stage — and does it all over again, possibly for a billion years.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 30, 2017

Come summer he gets dozy and hibernates through to autumn, and I can speak a bit better.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

The glove maker’s plant utilization rates are above 96%, excluding hibernated plants, he notes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

"Blue-tongued skinks hibernated under the garage and at night blue-banded and teddy-bear bees slept in the hedges under the front window," Dr Holden said.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 8, 2023

Aristotle thought that some birds such as swallows hibernated in the colder months and that others transformed into different species—redstarts turned into robins for the winter, he proposed.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 15, 2022

Without Thompson — and largely without Curry, who broke his hand and missed all but five games — Golden State hibernated through the 2019-20 season, finishing with the worst record in the league.

From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2021

So I took to the cellar; I hibernated.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

As hibernating animals, marmots put on weight before winter.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

With such an abundant year-round supply of snacks there’s a risk that bears could skip hibernating altogether if they become reliant on human food sources, the department said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025

"Minimizing disturbance to bats when they are hibernating or raising young is critical," Loeb said.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2024

Cook: This spicy, smoky chili is perfect after a long day skiing — or hibernating.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

Nearly one a week when it was hibernating time.

From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant




Vocabulary lists containing hibernate


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com