1
as in wakes
to cause to stop sleeping
the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awakes
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 provokes
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
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 arouses
This arouses the ire of the town’s belligerent sheriff (Colin Hanks, playing against type) and crooked theme park owner (John Ortiz) who decide to get revenge on the apparent family man causing them trouble.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
The moon’s clash with Chiron arouses your pessimistic side.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
The moon’s clash with Chiron arouses your pessimistic side.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouses
Verb
-
Today's average founder wakes to a cascade of notifications scattered across Slack, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, email, and TikTok.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
When a knock wakes Tom, he’s given a startling revelation by a fellow cop.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Every action provokes a reaction.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
After a sleepy start to the second half at Old Trafford, the arrival of Benjamin Sesko, and the relocation of Cunha into a deeper position, provokes a fresh wave of interest.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Now, nearly 40 years later, the Schwartz awakens.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The kids discover their small town of Derry is home to an ancient, trans-dimensional evil that awakens every 27 years to prey mostly on children by taking the form of an evil clown named Pennywise.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No, Kravitz is an artist who builds from the essence of his music, true rock ‘n’ roll, creating a live show that doesn’t push boundaries but rouses the audience and satisfies our yearning for a real rock star.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Avoid over feeding plants, which encourages foliage to grow at the expense of blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Guadagnino encourages our doubts, shooting Maggie in exaggerated horror-movie closeups set to the doomy bass notes and shrieking winds of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The caffeine in coffee stimulates the nervous system.—
Team Verywell Health,
Verywell Health,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Connie and Tristan are testing a new drug that stimulates the feel-good dopamine receptors in the brain.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
You're being pulled beneath the surface and something ancient stirs in the black below.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Not with how much the Wild are banking on Kaprizov to be the straw that stirs the drink for the foreseeable future.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arouses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouses. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share