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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Recent Examples of arouse
Murder by Antifreeze: How a Mother and Daughter Plotted to Kill Their Family Members – One at a Time
The pastor said his suspicions were aroused when Shaun, who seemed healthy, died, and Diane seemed unfazed by it.
—
Kc Baker, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Karsh is aided in the investigation by Rebecca’s sister, Terry (also Kruger), who is acerbic, affectionate, and visibly aroused by conspiracy theories.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
As Saxon and Lochlan try to decipher what happened between them, we are asked to think about why we’re aroused (or repulsed) by it.
—Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
The crux of the argument against displaying the hair at the Holocaust Museum in Washington was never entirely clear—the anxieties the idea aroused were hard to articulate.
—Cutter Wood, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Kc Baker, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Karsh is aided in the investigation by Rebecca’s sister, Terry (also Kruger), who is acerbic, affectionate, and visibly aroused by conspiracy theories.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
As Saxon and Lochlan try to decipher what happened between them, we are asked to think about why we’re aroused (or repulsed) by it.
—Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
The crux of the argument against displaying the hair at the Holocaust Museum in Washington was never entirely clear—the anxieties the idea aroused were hard to articulate.
—Cutter Wood, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
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Two hours after co-chairing an online meeting of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), she was awakened by missiles striking her town, Kyiv.—
Joan Michelson,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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The girls’ training has awakened the men to request a seminar for the boys.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
17 May 2025
Verb
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Yet when Sánchez awoke around 1 a.m. Friday and reflexively checked his phone, there was a response.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2025
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Kenwood and Parkville's regional final baseball game was scoreless through six innings, but the Bluebirds awoke with six runs in the seventh.—
James Peters,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Doctors gave her Pitocin, a medication used to provoke contractions, and a Foley balloon, which is a catheter-like device that gets the cervix to dilate.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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But if Washington follows a few principles, such improvements will not necessarily provoke Chinese aggression.—
Oriana Skylar Mastro,
Foreign Affairs,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Richardson woke him up, saying Leslie was overdosing.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
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The Long Gray Line and character At West Point, cadets wake before the sun comes up, shoes shined, uniforms squared away.—
Brianna Keilar,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Rose rouses him though, with concerns of their baby arriving prematurely.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
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Where Mraz and his brassy Super Band were polished, note-perfect and exuded an infectiously upbeat vibe, 4 Non Blondes’ uneven 13-song set was alternately rousing and rough-and-tumble.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Goolsbee’s remarks suggest he’s encouraged by the trade truce with China, a separate 90-day pause on double-digit tariffs on other nations, and soft inflation readings for both March and April.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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To honor that, the RHS teamed up with Harkness Roses to create a rose that encourages everyone to spend more time outside and stop to smell the roses.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2025
Verb
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These wildfires, while destructive, have also provided researchers with insights into giant sequoia ecology, revealing that moderate-severity burns can stimulate seed release and create favorable germination conditions.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Muscles, heart rate, strength, motor control — and the brain — all are stimulated by exercise.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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