: rain that freezes or partly freezes as it falls from the sky
Concerned that ice pellets—also known as sleet—were a larger hazard than previously thought, the Federal Aviation Administration in late 2005 adopted strict limits on planes taking off in such icy conditions.—
Susan Carey and Andy Pasztor
Susan Carey and Andy PasztorThe wind blew bitterly cold, and the boughs of the old tree crackled under falling sleet.—Harriet Jacobs
compare freezing rain, hail entry 1, snow entry 1
Harriet JacobsExamples of sleet in a Sentence
Noun
The snow turned to sleet and made driving very dangerous.
Recent Examples on the WebGeorge Ramsay, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
The National Weather Service said early Monday that the Northern and Central Plains into the Upper Midwest would be affected, with sleet and freezing rain reaching as far as the Mississippi Valley.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
In Maine, the National Weather Service warned of a treacherous travel day with an increase in ice forming inland from the coast, on top of snow or sleet that had already fallen.
—CBS News, 23 Mar. 2024
This round of snowfall comes ahead of a large storm system this weekend and into early next week that will bring heavy snow, freezing rain, strong winds and sleet across parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Large swaths of the country were under winter weather advisories — which alert residents to freezing rain and other possible hazards — or winter storm warnings, which precede a few inches or more of snow or sleet.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2024
As for precipitation, there's no sleet or snow in the forecast for the week ahead.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
There’s still a chance for snow, sleet, and ice to come your way, and now is a great time to capitalize on end-of-season sales.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2024
More record-breaking cold for much of the nation After producing widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain over the Deep South on Monday, the fast-moving system was spreading moderate to heavy snowfall into the mid-Atlantic Tuesday morning.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024
Noun
In that time, she was treated to snow, sleet and rain with only her dog for company.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
The National Weather Service said early Monday that the Northern and Central Plains into the Upper Midwest would be affected, with sleet and freezing rain reaching as far as the Mississippi Valley.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
In Maine, the National Weather Service warned of a treacherous travel day with an increase in ice forming inland from the coast, on top of snow or sleet that had already fallen.
—CBS News, 23 Mar. 2024
This round of snowfall comes ahead of a large storm system this weekend and into early next week that will bring heavy snow, freezing rain, strong winds and sleet across parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Large swaths of the country were under winter weather advisories — which alert residents to freezing rain and other possible hazards — or winter storm warnings, which precede a few inches or more of snow or sleet.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2024
As for precipitation, there's no sleet or snow in the forecast for the week ahead.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
There’s still a chance for snow, sleet, and ice to come your way, and now is a great time to capitalize on end-of-season sales.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2024
More record-breaking cold for much of the nation After producing widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain over the Deep South on Monday, the fast-moving system was spreading moderate to heavy snowfall into the mid-Atlantic Tuesday morning.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleet.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Sleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleet. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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