nod off

verb

nodded off; nodding off; nods off

intransitive verb

: to fall asleep

Examples of nod off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Trump is often seen sitting between his lawyers with his eyes closed − sometimes even appearing to nod off − in a chair that appears to be lined with leather. Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 1 May 2024 Monday The first day of the trial kicked off with several legal blows for Trump, who nodded off points during the trial. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2024 The United States’ President Edison Wolcott (Charles Dance, slyly self-parodying) is more interested in getting some sleep and keeps nodding off, a gag that may be sheer coincidence but weirdly parallels what’s going on at the minute with Donald Trump at his criminal hush money trial. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024 But inside the courtroom, Trump was reserved, speaking rarely and even appearing to nod off from time to time, as 192 potential jurors were narrowed to a dozen, plus six alternates. Graham Kates, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024 The host also whipped out his best Trump impression in response to headlines about the former president appearing to nod off a few times during the first day of his hush money trial, which has been mercilessly mocked by a number of late night hosts. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024 Donald Trump's criminal trial seemingly got off to a slow start, as evidenced by a first-hand account of him nodding off on the morning of his first day in court. Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024 People who nodded off and died after taking opioids are often found hunched over with their legs curled under them. Natalie Kitroeff Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 The often-shocking stories shared on the page — ranging from people nodding off at the wheel after long workdays, to one crewmember allegedly laboring for 39 days straight — touched a nerve at a time when crew union IATSE was negotiating rest periods with studios in a new labor contract. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nod off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nod off was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near nod off

Cite this Entry

“Nod off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nod%20off. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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