lie dormant

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.

Unlike police drones dispatched after a 911 call, Mithril’s machines lie dormant in ceiling-mounted boxes, charging until a threat arrives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Hidden inside was a piece of malicious software that would lie dormant in the council's network until it was activated remotely.

From BBC • May 18, 2025

Across California and Arizona, there are stretches of desert that can quickly transform into dense fields of wildflowers, since seeds lie dormant in the soil and then germinate and blossom at around the same time.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2024

Bacteriophage P4 is a temperate virus, meaning it can integrate into the chromosome of its host cell and lie dormant.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2023

They can lie dormant for centuries and then flower in the most unpromising soil.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan