1
as in to awaken
to cause to stop sleeping
the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arouse
The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province.
—
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Yes, this position may arouse some ire.
—David Wolpe, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Thousands of digital leaders from around the world are here, displaying the latest in robotics, quantum computing, and IQ AI, which is grappling with the relationship between us—humans—and the multitude of AI agents that proffer help and arouse suspicion.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
To avoid arousing suspicion, the mission was primarily carried out by ground forces with limited air support from helicopters, Trevilla said.
—Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Yes, this position may arouse some ire.
—David Wolpe, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Thousands of digital leaders from around the world are here, displaying the latest in robotics, quantum computing, and IQ AI, which is grappling with the relationship between us—humans—and the multitude of AI agents that proffer help and arouse suspicion.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
To avoid arousing suspicion, the mission was primarily carried out by ground forces with limited air support from helicopters, Trevilla said.
—Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
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One night, Altman took an Ambien, only to be awakened by his husband, an Australian coder named Oliver Mulherin, who told him that Sutskever was wavering, and that people were telling Altman to speak with the board.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days, but beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One morning in 2024, the man had awoken with searing knee pain that turned out to be a meniscus tear.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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As the first bits of morning light awoke the day, early risers celebrated with Easter Sunday service on a hilltop in Anaheim Hills.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Christopher Nolan has cemented his status as one of our most consistently original and thought-provoking directors.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
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But traumatic episodes like the Notre-Dame fire generally provoke returns to the safe and familiar, not experimentation.—
David A. Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pain upon waking A good mattress provides ample support for your spine and joints.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Firefighters say working smoke alarms woke a family as a fire tore through their home's garage Friday morning.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to Meacham and Page, Reagan finally, and only after all other major candidates had dropped out of the race, intended to give a rousing speech supporting Bush at a black-tie gala on May 11th.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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Hope rouses life to continue, to expand, to grow, to reach out, to go on.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And there were a number of terrorist organizations that sought to encourage the British to leave, thus creating a united Ireland.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Teammates encouraged her and one even lifted her chin, but the damage was done.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Icon Park attraction will limit capacity, dim lighting, lower the music and disable stimulating exhibits.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Katzenback recommends four sets of five repetitions with heavy weights to stimulate bone growth.—
Hadia Zainab,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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