1
as in carefulness
a close attentiveness to avoiding danger
drove through the fog with extra alertness, as the road signs repeatedly warned of deer and moose crossings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in watchfulness
the state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of opportunity, activity, or danger
we observed the U.S. border patrol's intensified alertness for drug smugglers at the border stations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alertness
Sleep medications; muscle relaxants; antipsychotic medicines, and antiseizure drugs, all of which may reduce alertness or coordination.
—
Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
These foods contain compounds that give your brain a little jolt of energy by stimulating alertness, mood, and cognition.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2026
However its active compounds, which can trigger euphoria or alertness, are technically listed as psychotropic substances, creating a complex legal gray area in Kenya.
—Joseph Maina, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Human tissues can respond to light in ways that extend beyond vision — through photoreceptor signalling in the eye that regulates circadian rhythms, mood, alertness and other functions, as well as through light-sensitive metabolic processes in cells.
—Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
The panel that issued the 2024 report, also urged the FAA to further study how alertness and fatigue are monitored — and underscored concerns that consolidating responsibilities can reduce safety margins at exactly the wrong time.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
In the earliest of these changes, a tangled version of a protein called tau starts building up in a tiny region deep in the brain involved in sleep, attention and alertness, called the locus coeruleus.
—Elizabeth Riley, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
Music at this pace can improve a driver’s level of alertness and reduce fatigue without causing overstimulation.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Chuck Reger, franchise business coach at Five Star Painting, says bright red is highly stimulating and naturally increases alertness.
—Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
These foods contain compounds that give your brain a little jolt of energy by stimulating alertness, mood, and cognition.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2026
However its active compounds, which can trigger euphoria or alertness, are technically listed as psychotropic substances, creating a complex legal gray area in Kenya.
—Joseph Maina, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Human tissues can respond to light in ways that extend beyond vision — through photoreceptor signalling in the eye that regulates circadian rhythms, mood, alertness and other functions, as well as through light-sensitive metabolic processes in cells.
—Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
The panel that issued the 2024 report, also urged the FAA to further study how alertness and fatigue are monitored — and underscored concerns that consolidating responsibilities can reduce safety margins at exactly the wrong time.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
In the earliest of these changes, a tangled version of a protein called tau starts building up in a tiny region deep in the brain involved in sleep, attention and alertness, called the locus coeruleus.
—Elizabeth Riley, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
Music at this pace can improve a driver’s level of alertness and reduce fatigue without causing overstimulation.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Chuck Reger, franchise business coach at Five Star Painting, says bright red is highly stimulating and naturally increases alertness.
—Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alertness
Noun
-
Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Just as essential a consideration as carefulness for committee members, though, is speed.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
A lot of this involves watchfulness—noticing what the preferring mind (that is, the editing mind) as put in place, and accepting it, and building upon it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
With calm resolve, the United States and the European Union have each made decisions in recent days showing a firm watchfulness against big-power aggression.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Objects that are outdoors should be secured and caution should be taken if driving.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Depending on the audience, Altman has used this analogy to encourage either acceleration or caution.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Qubits of any sort are extremely error-prone, and computing with them will require constant vigilance.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency encourages organizations to heighten their cybersecurity vigilance during periods of elevated geopolitical risk.—
William Akoto,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors said the court issued an order preventing him from owning, possessing or having any animals in his care or custody.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Noah James, who plays Andrew, and Vanessa Benavente, who plays Mother Mary, both said the crew takes great care in making sure everything looks and feels authentic.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On Wednesday, the intro to space class at Metropolitan State University of Denver held a watch party for the Artemis II mission launch.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
If there is a potential for temperatures to fall into these thresholds, a freeze watch may be issued a few days ahead of time.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The two big investments in their front seven — particularly Phillips’ whopping four-year, $120 million deal — also meant the Panthers would have to exercise financial prudence with their other additions, at least one of which was a head-scratcher.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
This is not the time for fiscal prudence for the Sharks.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Blissfully, though, that means the Kardashians, Real Housewives, and ticker tape news alerts on CNN are thousands of miles away.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This release added a ton of stuff for swimmers, including depth tracking and water temperature sensors, as well as sleep apnea alerts for snorers.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alertness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alertness. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
