1
as in to awaken
to cause to stop sleeping
the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to awake
to cease to be asleep
set the alarm so we would arouse at 5:00 a.m.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the court's controversial decision aroused many to protest and to lobby the legislature for a constitutional amendment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arouse
The problem is that your idealism is aroused and you might be tempted to give away the farm.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
Paparazzi photos aroused curiosity in the Lay’s and Doritos of the world — and Balenciaga’s merchandising team.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
Suspicions were aroused when rescuers reached the boat and saw it wasn’t capsized.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
Unpleasant experiences, such as loneliness and grief, can arouse nostalgia, which can then help people cope more effectively with these hardships.
—Chelsea Reid, The Conversation, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
Paparazzi photos aroused curiosity in the Lay’s and Doritos of the world — and Balenciaga’s merchandising team.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
Suspicions were aroused when rescuers reached the boat and saw it wasn’t capsized.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
Unpleasant experiences, such as loneliness and grief, can arouse nostalgia, which can then help people cope more effectively with these hardships.
—Chelsea Reid, The Conversation, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
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Select screenings began Thursday afternoon at 2:17 pm, to match a key time that spurs the story — the hour when a group of children all awaken at once and mysteriously disappear.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
9 Aug. 2025
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Hellcat: Lena awakens in a small camper being towed by a pickup truck.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Houston’s rotation awoke on Wednesday with a 4.38 ERA since June 15.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
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As the ship sailed towards Curaçao, Antilles, her father awoke in the early morning hours to see Amy smoking on the balcony outside their cabin.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Casey Durkin—Bravo While Jax, surely at the urging of producers, tried to provoke Kristen by questioning her fertility choices, nothing major happened in the premiere.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Aug. 2025
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As a futurist, my role was to provoke fresh insight and decisive action.—
Lisa Bodell,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Across the country, woke prosecutors implemented no-bail policies or avoided jail time for juveniles, but these approaches have proven ineffective.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
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What begins as a strange ritual quickly unravels into a waking nightmare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But with the help of his friends and a rousing, inclusive baseball game, Hugo learns that everyone needs something a little different to succeed and that working together is no trouble at all.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
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For the encore of the Flaming Lips’ set, Brock joined the band on stage for a rousing rendition of the 1970 heavy metal tune.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The hub, which launched on Aug. 5, encourages disabled travelers and others who might need special accommodations to take advantage of all the Golden State has to offer.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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In addition to the sheer number of users on the platform, YouTube’s algorithm encourages the viewing of additional video podcasts, which also helps the numbers.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Typically, a sluggish economy leads to low inflation, allowing the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to stimulate more borrowing and activity.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
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It’s administered as two spritzes—one in each nostril—and stimulates antibodies against the influenza virus in the nasal passages and bloodstream to protect against serious disease.—
Alice Park,
Time,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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