in the wake of

phrase

1

: close behind and in the same path of travel

… missionaries arrived in the wake of conquistadors and soldiers …

—Sabine MacCormack

2

: as a result of : as a consequence of

… power vacuums left in the wake of the Second World War.

—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Examples of in the wake of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

British content creator Emily Jones keeps a candid account of her journey on her Instagram page, documenting her health in the wake of the deaths of both of her parents within six weeks of one another. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2026

Advertisement Europe may possess the older political history, but its encounter with immigration is more recent, starting with labor migration to help with European reconstruction after World War II and expanding again in the wake of the Cold War. — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

Other business owners feared the worst in the wake of the attacks and began planning their exit. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

The Bourne films questioned America’s surveillance and security apparatus in the wake of 9/11. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for in the wake of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove