1
a
: to assume an upright position especially from lying, kneeling, or sitting
b
: to get up from sleep or from one's bed
2
: to return from death
3
: to take up arms
rise in rebellion
4
: to respond warmly : applaud
—usually used with to
the audience rose to her verve and wit
5
chiefly British
: to end a session : adjourn
6
: to appear above the horizon
the sun rises at six
7
a
: to move upward : ascend
b
: to increase in height, size, volume, or pitch
8
: to extend above other objects
mountain peaks rose to the west
9
a
: to become heartened or elated
his spirits rose
b
: to increase in fervor or intensity
my anger rose as I thought about the insult
10
a
: to attain a higher level or rank
officers who rose from the ranks
b
: to increase in quantity or number
12
: to follow as a consequence : result
13
: to exert oneself to meet a challenge
rise to the occasion
1
a
: a spot higher than surrounding ground : hilltop
b
: an upward slope
a rise in the road
2
4
: the distance or elevation of one point above another
5
a
: an increase especially in amount, number, or volume
b
chiefly British
: raise sense 3b
c
: an increase in price, value, rate, or sum
a rise in the cost of living
6
: an angry reaction
got a rise out of him
7
: the distance from the crotch to the waistline on pants
Synonyms
Examples of rise in a Sentence
Verb
Smoke was rising into the air.
Bubbles rose to the surface of water.
The tide rose and fell.
The land rises as you move away from the coast.
a tower rising above the little town
a politician who rose to fame very quickly
The book has risen to the top of best-seller lists.
People are angry about rising gasoline prices.
The market is continuing to rise.
The wind rose in the afternoon.
Noun
We watched the rise and fall of the waves.
The book describes the empire's rise and fall.
the meteoric rise of the Internet
a politician's rise to fame
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Recent Examples on the Web
Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
The latest shots are becoming available as COVID hospitalizations and deaths are rising slightly, albeit not to the levels of past years.
—Christina Jewett, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
In 1988, after 17 years under the iron rule of General Augusto Pinochet, the country rose to shrug off the dictatorship through nonviolent mass protests and civil-society mobilization.
—Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2023
This means that if the dollar falls in value, the price of rare metals may rise.
—Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
The pharma giant’s stock rose 1.6% on Monday afternoon, putting Lilly on track for a new all-time high dating back to 1972.
—WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023
The violence of the piece is jarring at first, but as the short composition plays out, its musical pulse rises to the fore.
—Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County has risen in recent years.
—Helen Rummel, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2023
But the water rose too high, even for Mitch Mitchell’s house, which was elevated over 10 feet.
—Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
Ben Casselman, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
At the time the lawsuit was first filed, US antitrust officials did not rule out the possibility of a Google breakup, warning that Google’s behavior could threaten future innovation or the rise of a Google successor.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
This same ideology helped give rise to the story Belgians sometimes told themselves about the nation’s exploitation of Congo: that the occupation was driven in significant part by a desire to free or protect Africans from slavery.
—Christopher Hawthorne, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023
September 11, 2023 When world leaders assembled for their group photo at the G20 summit in New Delhi Sunday, there was no Xi Jinping to showcase China’s rise, no Vladimir Putin to glad-hand and lobby for Russia’s perspective on its war in Ukraine.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Sep. 2023
The Justice Department has been reluctant to disclose the names of individual prosecutors on Smith’s team, citing a rise in threats against them that has prompted extensive security precautions.
—Perry Stein, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023
The latest is this muscular-looking epic action-drama starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte during his early rise to power, with Vanessa Kirby as his first wife, Empress Joséphine.
—Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023
Owing to the rise of artificial intelligence and the recent, widespread adoption of ChatGPT, cybercriminals have also adopted new and more sophisticated linguistics methods, such as text volume, punctuation, and sentence length with no links or attachments.
—Nick Kasmik, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
On Sunday, Evergrande reported a significant narrowing of its net losses for the first half of the year, thanks to a rise in revenue.
—Laura He, CNN, 31 Aug. 2023
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Verb
Legislators don’t trust the DMV to ensure safety June 1, 2023
The safety issue has risen to the fore after San Francisco police officers and the city’s fire chief complained in August that driverless taxis deployed by Cruise and Waymo persisently impede emergency vehicles and first responders.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
The latest shots are becoming available as COVID hospitalizations and deaths are rising slightly, albeit not to the levels of past years.
—Christina Jewett, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
In 1988, after 17 years under the iron rule of General Augusto Pinochet, the country rose to shrug off the dictatorship through nonviolent mass protests and civil-society mobilization.
—Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2023
This means that if the dollar falls in value, the price of rare metals may rise.
—Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
The pharma giant’s stock rose 1.6% on Monday afternoon, putting Lilly on track for a new all-time high dating back to 1972.
—WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023
The violence of the piece is jarring at first, but as the short composition plays out, its musical pulse rises to the fore.
—Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County has risen in recent years.
—Helen Rummel, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2023
But the water rose too high, even for Mitch Mitchell’s house, which was elevated over 10 feet.
—Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
Noun
The rise in poverty in 2022, social policy experts said, was the inevitable result of that decision.
—Ben Casselman, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
At the time the lawsuit was first filed, US antitrust officials did not rule out the possibility of a Google breakup, warning that Google’s behavior could threaten future innovation or the rise of a Google successor.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
This same ideology helped give rise to the story Belgians sometimes told themselves about the nation’s exploitation of Congo: that the occupation was driven in significant part by a desire to free or protect Africans from slavery.
—Christopher Hawthorne, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023
September 11, 2023 When world leaders assembled for their group photo at the G20 summit in New Delhi Sunday, there was no Xi Jinping to showcase China’s rise, no Vladimir Putin to glad-hand and lobby for Russia’s perspective on its war in Ukraine.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Sep. 2023
The Justice Department has been reluctant to disclose the names of individual prosecutors on Smith’s team, citing a rise in threats against them that has prompted extensive security precautions.
—Perry Stein, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023
The latest is this muscular-looking epic action-drama starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte during his early rise to power, with Vanessa Kirby as his first wife, Empress Joséphine.
—Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023
Owing to the rise of artificial intelligence and the recent, widespread adoption of ChatGPT, cybercriminals have also adopted new and more sophisticated linguistics methods, such as text volume, punctuation, and sentence length with no links or attachments.
—Nick Kasmik, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
On Sunday, Evergrande reported a significant narrowing of its net losses for the first half of the year, thanks to a rise in revenue.
—Laura He, CNN, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing rise
Dictionary Entries Near rise
Cite this Entry
“Rise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rise. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
rise
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to get up from lying, kneeling, or sitting
b
: to get up from sleep or from one's bed
2
: to return from death
3
: to take up arms
the people rose in rebellion
4
: to appear above the horizon
sun rises at six
5
a
: to move upward : ascend
smoke rises
b
: to extend upward
hill rises to a great height
6
: to swell in size or volume
the river was rising
bread dough rises
7
a
: to become encouraged
their spirits rose
b
: to grow stronger
felt her anger rising
8
a
: to gain a higher rank or position
rose to colonel
b
: to increase in quantity or number
prices were rising
9
a
: arise sense 2b
an ugly rumor had risen
b
: to come into being : originate
river rises in the hills
10
: to show oneself equal to a demand or test
rise to the occasion
rise
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of rising : a state of being risen
2
3
: the distance of one point above another
4
: an increase in amount, number, or volume
5
a
: an upward slope
b
: a spot higher than surrounding ground
6
: an angry reaction
More from Merriam-Webster on rise
Nglish: Translation of rise for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rise for Arabic Speakers
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