1
as in carefulness
a close attentiveness to avoiding danger
drove through the fog with extra alertness, as the road signs repeatedly warned of deer and moose crossings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in watchfulness
the state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of opportunity, activity, or danger
we observed the U.S. border patrol's intensified alertness for drug smugglers at the border stations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of alertness
The body adapts to the daily dose, blunting caffeine’s impact on blood pressure, mental alertness and exercise performance.
—
Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
High-energy visible light plays a role in alertness, memory, cognitive function and mood regulation, and it is even used as a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder, according to the Raleigh Eye Center.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Depending on your tolerance, this could be too much—or just the right amount—to help increase alertness.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 12 June 2026
Adrenaline and noradrenaline, hormones which increase alertness and reaction speed, are also released, but there is a fine balance between readiness and unreadiness.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Promotes alertness through the same pathway as outdoor light.
—Allison Palmer
june 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
This increases alertness, boosts available energy and temporarily downshifts nonessential functions like digestion.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Ten minutes outside around lunchtime makes a measurable difference in afternoon alertness.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
High-energy visible light plays a role in alertness, memory, cognitive function and mood regulation, and it is even used as a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder, according to the Raleigh Eye Center.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Depending on your tolerance, this could be too much—or just the right amount—to help increase alertness.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 12 June 2026
Adrenaline and noradrenaline, hormones which increase alertness and reaction speed, are also released, but there is a fine balance between readiness and unreadiness.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Promotes alertness through the same pathway as outdoor light.
—Allison Palmer
june 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
This increases alertness, boosts available energy and temporarily downshifts nonessential functions like digestion.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Ten minutes outside around lunchtime makes a measurable difference in afternoon alertness.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alertness
Noun
-
This carefulness is clearly strategic.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
There was no carefulness in it.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Hong Kong icon Tony Leung has channeled brooding urban energy for the masterpieces of Wong Kar-Wai, balancing the debonair ennui of Marcello Mastroianni with the quiet watchfulness of Montgomery Clift.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
-
In nine short, potent chapters, Beckerman lays out the essential traits of an effective dissident — loyalty, recklessness and watchfulness, among them — to illustrate how communities of resistance are built from the ground up.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
In the hours after the shootings, law enforcement officials and event organizers urged people not to attend planned rallies out of an abundance of caution, after No Kings flyers were found in Vance Boelter's vehicle.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Stock markets surged and oil prices plummeted after Washington and Tehran reached a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though analysts voiced caution over the agreement’s prospects.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Being assistant to the president for National Security Affairs is a grueling job requiring 24/7 vigilance.—
Arthur House,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
-
That vigilance is itself a form of labor — invisible, unmeasured, and relentless.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
He was evacuated to a hospital in Berlin to receive care on May 20 and was discharged on June 6, according to Serge.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
For many historians, Pennhurst serves as a reminder of how society once approached disability care and how those systems often failed the people they were intended to help.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Intense downpours, hail and thunderstorms continued Thursday, with the weather service issuing tornado watches or warnings for parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
That angered the Knicks, who decided not to go forward with plans to hold an outdoor watch party outside the arena.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
This raised interest rates to punishing levels just as fiscal prudence was being tossed aside.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
-
Strength and prudence are not the same thing.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Do not burn debris or other items during an air quality alert.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
Some of the women said the male operators assaulted them after soliciting them for jet ski rides from small islands just east of Paradise Island, downtown Nassau, and Paradise Island beaches, according to the security alert.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alertness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alertness. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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