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
There, the tortoise became visibly aroused seeing another tortoise.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The gobbling box will often arouse an old tom that nothing else can stir.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
The harder a person tries to force sleep, the more aroused the brain becomes, the more elusive sleep becomes.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
No clear catalyst One reason the surge in oil futures trading is arousing suspicion is that no market-moving announcements were slated for Monday morning, such as government economic releases or speeches from Federal Reserve officials.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The gobbling box will often arouse an old tom that nothing else can stir.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
The harder a person tries to force sleep, the more aroused the brain becomes, the more elusive sleep becomes.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
No clear catalyst One reason the surge in oil futures trading is arousing suspicion is that no market-moving announcements were slated for Monday morning, such as government economic releases or speeches from Federal Reserve officials.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
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Seeing her life through Meehan’s eyes awakened something in her.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The 68-year-old suspect awoke and got into an argument with the victim that turned physical.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
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Many refugees came to her complaining of the headaches and sores and bodily pains that come from extreme stress and extreme boredom, of bedding on cold floors and being awoken through the night by explosions.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Similar summaries of the show in the magazine Soap Opera Digest provoked outrage within the fledgling magazine’s readership.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
On May 18, Venus will conclude its journey through the flirtatious and thought-provoking sign of Gemini and enter the sentimental and hopeless romantic sign of Cancer.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Enjoy the memes and nostalgia bait, and wake me up when training camp starts.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Manning said smelling salts have only been approved for fainting because of the temporary increase of blood flow to the brain, and increased heart and respiratory rates can wake a person up.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Despite the crowds, the rousing music, and the excitement, Washington’s departure was a solemn affair, freighted by the stunning fact that the American colonies were now truly at war with the British Empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
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Vadim begins by recounting his youth as the privileged son of a Soviet-era official who was cast aside under the liberalizing Gorbachev regime; the reversal of fortune roused the young Vadim to make the most of his life.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Responding to comments, asking for feedback, and giving shout-outs to active viewers fosters a sense of community and encourages continued engagement.—
Adam Rumanek,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2026
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Techniques such as reinforcement learning from human feedback encourage the model toward preferred responses.—
Sandeep Shilawat,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Certain exercises can help slow bone loss and stimulate bone growth.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
14 May 2026
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The real show, however, takes place on the surface, as the big, meaty bugs stimulate some of the hottest topwater action of the year.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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