spent overnight

USAGE SUMMARY

"spent overnight" is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to spending time over a single night in a certain place or doing a certain activity. For example: "We spent overnight in the hotel before our flight the next morning."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

This money cannot be spent overnight".

The New York Times

His inexperience meant that he spent overnight bus trips sitting near the front, not sleeping in the bunks in back reserved for veterans.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Justice Gische refused to change the restrictions that forbid the children -- Andrew, 15, and Caroline, 12 -- to spend overnight visits with Mr. Giuliani if Ms. Nathan is also spending the night.

The New York Times

A rather old school arrangement, her children spend overnight Tuesdays, and every other weekend Fridays to Mondays, with their respective fathers away from her home.

Huffington Post

In the last decade, biking wine tours of Chile have become very popular where visitors can enjoy the countryside, indulge in paired food and wine tastings, and spend overnight at villas in the vineyards.

Huffington Post

They came on holiday with us and we loved spending overnights at theirs.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

During my daughter Alex's 7 ½ year battle with cancer, one of the rules we implemented to keep our family life somewhat sane was that my wife Liz would spend days with Alex at the hospital (often times her brothers would join!), and I would spend overnights there.

Huffington Post

We focused on factors that could reflect real situations, such as the number of days off, number of days spent in overnight work and on-call, and the average number of sleep hours during not doing overnight work.

BMC Public Health

The program, which is free to join, awards two or three points per dollar spent on overnight stays depending on membership levels, which are based on the cumulative number of nights spent.

The New York Times

The team spent the overnight hours before the storm in a bunker, a squat building that sits inside a warehouse at the Army Corps' district headquarters on high ground near the Mississippi River.

The New York Times

A9 Beliefs B7 NEW YORK/REGION B1-7 Fears of West Nile Virus Keep Campers Indoors Children taking part in the 92nd Street Y's summer camp spent their "overnight under the stars" indoors because of parents' fears about disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "spent overnight", ensure the context clearly indicates the activity or location associated with the overnight stay. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "spent overnight at" when "spent overnight in" is more appropriate for indicating a location. For example, say "spent overnight in the hospital" instead of "spent overnight at the hospital."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "spent overnight" primarily functions as a verb phrase, indicating the action of passing the night in a specified manner or location. Ludwig confirms its proper usage in various contexts, showcasing its versatility.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

10%

Social Media

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "spent overnight" is a versatile verb phrase used to describe the act of passing the night in a particular place or while engaged in a certain activity. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely used across various contexts, including news, science, and everyday conversation. While alternatives like "stayed the night" or "remained overnight" exist, "spent overnight" offers a clear and concise way to convey the duration of an event extending through the night. A key writing tip is to ensure the context specifies the location or activity to avoid ambiguity, and to use "in" rather than "at" when specifying location. Its frequent use in authoritative sources like the The New York Times and The Guardian underscores its reliability and widespread acceptance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stayed the night

Focuses on the location where the night was spent.

remained overnight

Emphasizes continuing presence through the night.

passed the night

Highlights the action of experiencing the night.

dwelt overnight

Implies a temporary residence for the night.

lodged overnight

Suggests a formal arrangement for sleeping.

sojourned overnight

Indicates a brief stay during the night as part of a longer journey.

camped overnight

Specific to outdoor stays.

tarried overnight

Implies a deliberate delay or stop.

sleept over

Informal way of saying spent the night.

rested overnight

Focuses on the aspect of relaxation during the night.

FAQs

How can I use "spent overnight" in a sentence?

You can use "spent overnight" to describe an activity or stay that lasted through the night, such as "They "spent overnight" at a hotel" or "She "spent overnight" working on the project".

What are some alternatives to "spent overnight"?

Alternatives include "stayed the night", "remained overnight", or "passed the night", depending on the specific context and nuance you wish to convey.

Is it correct to say "spent overnight at" or "spent overnight in"?

While both can be used, "spent overnight in" is generally preferred when referring to a location. For example, "We "spent overnight" in a cabin" is more common than "spent overnight at a cabin".

What's the difference between "spent overnight" and "stayed over"?

"Spent overnight" is a more formal way of expressing the idea of staying somewhere for the night. "Stayed over" is more informal and commonly used in casual conversation.