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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Undeniably extremely aroused by the idea.
—
E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Though military officials have always insisted that the X-37B is merely a technology testbed, the vehicle has aroused suspicion in some quarters.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 23 Feb. 2026
As his health dwindled, Proust took a particular interest in the case of an Irish revolutionary that aroused much public sympathy in France and elsewhere during the War of Independence.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
This coming game has aroused a great deal of interest throughout the state, and many will go to Athens to witness the event and wear the colors of their favorite team.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arouse
E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Though military officials have always insisted that the X-37B is merely a technology testbed, the vehicle has aroused suspicion in some quarters.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 23 Feb. 2026
As his health dwindled, Proust took a particular interest in the case of an Irish revolutionary that aroused much public sympathy in France and elsewhere during the War of Independence.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
This coming game has aroused a great deal of interest throughout the state, and many will go to Athens to witness the event and wear the colors of their favorite team.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
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When Grace first awakens on his ship, the film cuts hectically around, above, and below him, as if to approximate his mental and physical disorientation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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The solemn Moon is stepping into Capricorn, awakening your 12th House of Solitude and Healing.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On a beach in Mexico, the Minutemen awoke to pain.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
21 Mar. 2026
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The colonists awoke from their dream of lucrative plantations to find churches in ashes and molasses cauldrons rusting in the grass.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The ur-mutiny, encompassing some of these, provoking and provoked by others, is MAGA.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
-
ByteDance’s legal team will now work on resolving and identifying legal issues surrounding the launch, while its engineering team will reportedly work on adding safeguards to stop the model from generating content that could provoke copyright disputes.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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My cats, Cutie and Socks — one’s a tabby and the other is a tuxedo cat — wake me up by mewing and walking on me.—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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Some species wake with the sun and sleep with the moon.—
Marlowe Starling,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Buckley, clad in an elegant red and pink strapless gown, accepted the accolade with a rousing speech, thanking her husband and the team behind the film, and gushing over the emotional complexity of motherhood.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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Written by Young and his dad, this is a rousing folk-rocker with a serious point about an ex-con and his tough times getting back to the working world.—
Brett Milano,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rollicking Japanese City Pop era tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s keep energy levels up; on Sundays, off-duty geiko or maiko may be sitting at a cozy banquette nearby—they’re given a discount to encourage a local patronage, too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
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Looking ahead, the town is also encouraging residents to reduce water use long term by replacing traditional turf grass with more drought-resistant landscaping.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The cream also contains peptides to calm irritation and stimulate collagen and elastin production, and vitamin C for antioxidant protection.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
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Naboso was developed by a podiatrist and uses texture on all products to stimulate the feet, improving overall foot awareness, foot strength and aiding in recovery.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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