1
as in challenged
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat
I dare you to repeat that to my face! he dared his friend to race to the end of the block
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in confronted
to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage
every day the old fisherman dared the elements to make his meager living
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dared
No one dared ask if Cheney had severed contacts with his former business colleagues.
—
Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 8 Nov. 2025
Some younger viewers may have been initially puzzled by the mashup, but fans of a certain age, or of a certain show-tune leaning, got it from the very first bar, or might have even dared to anticipate it when Erivo and Grande sat down on stools, side by side.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Not content to knock you down by rearranging her songwriting with radically different parts and references than querer or Motomami dared, Rosalía works every bit as intently with shock and humor.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
But there is one pop culture stage on which the Muppets have never dared to venture… until now.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
One man, Lawrence Bergreen, dared to step into the breach and write about Columbus in the way only historians of substance can.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow dared to wear them with formal clothes back then, a forward-looking approach that’s now used all the time on catwalks and in street-style looks.
—Renata Joffre, Glamour, 19 Oct. 2025
In Kenya, President William Ruto, facing increasing pressure to resign, dared his critics to oust him from office before the next elections in 2027.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
The people Hamas is killing now are just like me — Palestinians who dared to speak.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 8 Nov. 2025
Some younger viewers may have been initially puzzled by the mashup, but fans of a certain age, or of a certain show-tune leaning, got it from the very first bar, or might have even dared to anticipate it when Erivo and Grande sat down on stools, side by side.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Not content to knock you down by rearranging her songwriting with radically different parts and references than querer or Motomami dared, Rosalía works every bit as intently with shock and humor.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
But there is one pop culture stage on which the Muppets have never dared to venture… until now.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
One man, Lawrence Bergreen, dared to step into the breach and write about Columbus in the way only historians of substance can.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow dared to wear them with formal clothes back then, a forward-looking approach that’s now used all the time on catwalks and in street-style looks.
—Renata Joffre, Glamour, 19 Oct. 2025
In Kenya, President William Ruto, facing increasing pressure to resign, dared his critics to oust him from office before the next elections in 2027.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
The people Hamas is killing now are just like me — Palestinians who dared to speak.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dared
Verb
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But a couple of decades later, the rise of big-box retailers that boasted lower prices, like Walmart and Target, challenged that supremacy.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
His bold approach has challenged both fans and music executives to see artists through a new lens.—
Evan Burke,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Tellingly, the protesters in Nepal’s September uprising angrily confronted Indian TV crews, associating them with the country’s political crisis.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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While other Phoenix players confronted Horry about the foul, Suns forwards Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, who were getting up to check into the game, were deemed to have left the bench area and suspended for the critical Game 5.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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The agency has also faced criticism for aggressive tactics used by ICE agents in executing the president’s immigration policy.—
Andy Rose 19 hr ago,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The moment played out on Season 3 of The Traitors, when Sandoval and the other contestants braved a creepy cabin full of singing dolls and had to memorize and perform backwards nursery rhymes.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Heidi Klum braved the inclement weather in New York to ring in Halloween.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dared. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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