Phrase guide

the family that sleeps together keeps together

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

phrase

Meaning 1

A supposed motto describing the dynamics of incest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Parody of the family that prays together stays together. Originally coined by Hugh Hefner in the 1960s to refer to the way sexual intimacy creates bonds between a married couple, the phrase was adopted by others who reinterpreted it to refer to incest.