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Glite Dictionary
to sleep on it

to sleep on it

26 3.7
To delay making a decision until the next day to think about it
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : dormir sobre ello
  • Sir, maybe we should sleep on it?
  • Let me sleep on it
  • just sleep on it
  • Maybe you should sleep on it

And then again, you, you, you sleep on it and you find a way out.

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Examples

  • So what say we sleep on it and take another shot in the morning?

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I suggest you sleep on it.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • So just sleep on it and then bring it up the next day.

    Bedros Keuilian

  • We should sleep on it tonight.

    Camp Blood 8: Revelations (2020)

  • I decided to sleep on it.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • My advice would be to sleep on it and see if you feel any more charitable in the morning.

    Blog text (13)

  • However, after I slept on it, I realized that I did very much enjoy the movie.

    Blog text (30)

  • Well, I think we oughta sleep on it tonight.

    Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976)

  • Why don't we all sleep on it?

    Torn Curtain (1966)

  • I will sleep on it and get back to you tomorrow.

Synonyms

to think it through
vsto sleep on it
  • Informal
105 3.2

To look at all the details and what may happen before you decide

does the same but always after a night's sleep before choosing
to sit on
vsto sleep on it
34 4.2

Delay making a decision about something while thinking about it

waits until the next day to decide after more reflection
to mull over
vsto sleep on it
19 4.0

To think carefully about something before deciding

shares deep thought but always delays until the following day
to chew on
vsto sleep on it
  • Informal
14 3.9

To think carefully about something for a while before deciding

is similar but specifically delays choice until the next day
to gather one's thoughts
vsto sleep on it
6 4.4

Pause and think clearly before you speak or decide

focuses on waiting overnight rather than a short pause for order
to punt on
vsto sleep on it
  • Informal
1 8.2

Delay deciding about something to avoid commitment

delays specifically to think overnight rather than to avoid choice
to sleep on the idea
vsto sleep on it
4.8

Delay making a decision until after you think about it overnight

delays decision specifically until the next day for careful thought
to sit on a decision
vsto sleep on it
4.2

Delay making a decision by waiting instead of choosing

delays with overnight thinking rather than mere avoidance

Antonyms

to decide
∞ 1.0

To make a choice after thinking about the options

How Soon

to wait
∞ 1.0
to sleep on it
26 3.7
to postpone
234 3.4

Surface Forms

sleep on it infinitive
sleeping on it present participle
sleeps on it third person singular
slept on it past
slept on it past participle

Morphology

sleep + on + it

The sense 'delay making a decision until the next day' is directly inferable from combining 'sleep' (to rest overnight) with the locative/participant preposition 'on' and 'it' (the matter), i.e. to let the issue lie overnight before deciding. This pragmatic extension is common cross-linguistically and follows a transparent compositional logic, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will very likely understand the MWE.

Etymology

The idiom sleep on it comes from the simple image of leaving a problem overnight and sleeping before you decide. So, it means 'to delay making a decision until the next day'.