intransitive verb

: to care for children usually during a short absence of the parents
broadly : to give care
babysit for a neighbor's pets

transitive verb

: to babysit for
She babysits her grandchildren.
broadly : mind, tend
babysit house plants
police babysitting a witness
babysitter noun

Examples of babysit in a Sentence

She babysits their kids on Saturday nights.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The vampire movie might be a bit much for Guillermo, and Toni-Lyn is hoping her mom can babysit. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 25 Dec. 2024 However, the real family drama began when Amanda called her brother and asked him to babysit on short notice. Lindsay Kimble, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024 Corbet’s teen-age cousin flew in from Colorado to babysit. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024 Offer to babysit or pet sit for a friend or acquaintance. Melissa Santos, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for babysit 

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from babysitter

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of babysit was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near babysit

Cite this Entry

“Babysit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babysit. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

: to care for children usually while the parents are away for a short time
babysitter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on babysit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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