as in to sleep
to engage in sexual intercourse the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of copulate Religious leaders specified days on which, for medical or liturgical reasons, married couples were not to copulate—one Irish rule book from the early seventh century excluded a good two-thirds of the year. S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 Once the toxin took effect, males mounted the females and copulated for between 40 and 75 minutes, without the risk of being gobbled up. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025 On his shirt, little hippos copulated against a pastel-blue cotton background. airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024 Advertisement The lawsuit alleges Harris comforted the boy and during the encounter began forcibly orally copulating the teen. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for copulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copulate
sleep
Verb
  • Which means Florida’s official policy is now: don’t sleep here, don’t sleep there, and don’t sleep at all.
    Eric Gray, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 2025
  • Alex was on his phone and computer constantly, never sleeping.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Copulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulate. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on copulate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!