: 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
Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
In Charlotte, snow and sleet accumulations of up to two inches with up to a quarter of an inch of ice are expected.
—Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2025
The area should see snow then a mix with snow and sleet until the evening when the precipitation turns to mostly freezing rain that is expected to continue into early Saturday morning, Wimblerley said.
—Andrew Dys, Charlotte Observer, 10 Jan. 2025
What is expected to start as snow Friday morning is likely to turn to sleet and then freezing rain across the Atlanta metropolitan area, turning untreated roads into ice skating rinks by the evening hours.
—Judson Jones, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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Noun
Fort Worth awoke to a mixture of precipitation that fluctuated between rain, sleet and snow throughout the day on Thursday.
—Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
In Charlotte, snow and sleet accumulations of up to two inches with up to a quarter of an inch of ice are expected.
—Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2025
The area should see snow then a mix with snow and sleet until the evening when the precipitation turns to mostly freezing rain that is expected to continue into early Saturday morning, Wimblerley said.
—Andrew Dys, Charlotte Observer, 10 Jan. 2025
What is expected to start as snow Friday morning is likely to turn to sleet and then freezing rain across the Atlanta metropolitan area, turning untreated roads into ice skating rinks by the evening hours.
—Judson Jones, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sleet
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Cite this Entry
“Sleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleet. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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