: 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 Web
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
And to the north, ice, snow and sleet is expected in states from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes region to New England where winter weather advisories blanketed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and parts of New York, according to the National Weather Service.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2025
If that freezing layer is thick, the droplets have time to freeze before impact and are called sleet.
—Deb Amlen, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
Total snow and sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to two tenths of an inch.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleet
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Noun
What To Know An ice storm warning has been issued for parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, with freezing rain, snow, and sleet expected to create treacherous road conditions, cause widespread power outages, and snap tree limbs.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
And to the north, ice, snow and sleet is expected in states from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes region to New England where winter weather advisories blanketed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and parts of New York, according to the National Weather Service.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2025
If that freezing layer is thick, the droplets have time to freeze before impact and are called sleet.
—Deb Amlen, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
Total snow and sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to two tenths of an inch.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleet
Cite this Entry
“Sleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleet. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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