1
2
as in to awake
to cease to be asleep
guests at the B and B usually awaken to the smell of fresh pancakes
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 awaken
The morning after giving birth, June awakens in her bed to find her baby gone; Bethel and Beauty are at the kitchen table in tears.
—
Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
One night, Altman took an Ambien, only to be awakened by his husband, an Australian coder named Oliver Mulherin, who told him that Sutskever was wavering, and that people were telling Altman to speak with the board.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The four astronauts will be awakened after about four hours to perform an additional engine firing that will put Orion into the correct orbital geometry for its translunar injection (TLI) burn on flight day 2.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
The famous foliage descends upon the property, and guests awaken to crisp mornings that are best accompanied by grabbing a fresh cup of coffee and heading out for a pre-breakfast walk.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for awaken
Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
One night, Altman took an Ambien, only to be awakened by his husband, an Australian coder named Oliver Mulherin, who told him that Sutskever was wavering, and that people were telling Altman to speak with the board.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The four astronauts will be awakened after about four hours to perform an additional engine firing that will put Orion into the correct orbital geometry for its translunar injection (TLI) burn on flight day 2.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
The famous foliage descends upon the property, and guests awaken to crisp mornings that are best accompanied by grabbing a fresh cup of coffee and heading out for a pre-breakfast walk.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for awaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awaken
Verb
-
Andrillon warned against trying to harness the sleeping mind in the service of the waking world.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
Throngs of motorboaters flock to Boyd Lake every summer for water skiing, wake boarding and other aquatic activities on a reservoir whose primary purpose is furnishing drinking water for Greeley and serving northern Colorado agricultural needs.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Alvarez awoke Sunday leading the majors in slugging, OPS and home runs, a flaming core at the heart of a cooling lineup.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
-
When Gould awoke, she was thrilled to see her husband and newborn son.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In her cell, surrounded by her fellow rabble-rousing women, Deborah works the room.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
According to the report, both animals roused and regained consciousness about 30 minutes after the procedure began.—
Adam Bednar,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awaken. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
