1
: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects
2
: the time when the upper limb of the sun appears above the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth
Synonyms
Examples of sunrise in a Sentence
We were up before sunrise.
We worked from sunrise to sunset.
We watched the sunrise from the beach.
the pink light of sunrise
Recent Examples on the Web
Breezes from the west and southwest will be near calm levels closer to sunrise.
—
A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, while also putting a greater focus on worship, charity and good deeds.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
This was perhaps the most striking part of the experience: seeing what seemed like sunrise and sunset in the middle of the afternoon.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
From sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, April 2, flags at all state buildings in Arizona would be lowered to half-staff to honor Tucson police Officer Adam Buckner.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
The Hatch Restore 2 is an attractive, color-changing sunrise lamp that also doubles as a smart alarm clock.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
The day starts and ends with one of Texas’ spectacular sunrises and sunsets — best viewed from the wrap-around deck enveloping each of the property’s 22 safari tents.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024
For four days, April 8-12, Mars and Saturn will be visible together in the hour before sunrise.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
For some, the Easter Vigil begins after sunset on Saturday night or early Sunday morning into the sunrise of Easter.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, while also putting a greater focus on worship, charity and good deeds.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
This was perhaps the most striking part of the experience: seeing what seemed like sunrise and sunset in the middle of the afternoon.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
From sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, April 2, flags at all state buildings in Arizona would be lowered to half-staff to honor Tucson police Officer Adam Buckner.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
The Hatch Restore 2 is an attractive, color-changing sunrise lamp that also doubles as a smart alarm clock.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
The day starts and ends with one of Texas’ spectacular sunrises and sunsets — best viewed from the wrap-around deck enveloping each of the property’s 22 safari tents.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024
For four days, April 8-12, Mars and Saturn will be visible together in the hour before sunrise.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
For some, the Easter Vigil begins after sunset on Saturday night or early Sunday morning into the sunrise of Easter.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sunrise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sunrise
Cite this Entry
“Sunrise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunrise. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sunrise
noun
sun·rise
ˈsən-ˌrīz 
1
: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects (as color)
2
: the time at which the sun rises
Geographical Definition
Sunrise
geographical name
Sun·rise
ˈsən-ˌrīz
city in southeastern Florida west of Fort Lauderdale population 84,439
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