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
Relevance
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
Nobody around dared speak or shout.
—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
That was the term widely used against social critics, artists, novelists—anyone in Austria who dared to be too critical of the country after the Second World War.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
This electrifying new production celebrates the women who dared to be bold, courageous, and wholly themselves—and in doing so, became truly iconic.
—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 June 2026
And then a Mexican reporter dared to mention Lionel Messi.
—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
So before, this was a police state—and the only benefit of that was no one dared to commit crimes, particularly against a foreigner.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Not quite — the Adventist Development and Relief Agency dared to dream even bigger in 2024 with a 107-by-64-foot colossus assembled in Chile that holds the record to this day.
—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
No Utah newspaper dared to run the stories, the pair said.
—
ABC News,
10 June 2026
The paddock that no one had dared to demolish.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
That was the term widely used against social critics, artists, novelists—anyone in Austria who dared to be too critical of the country after the Second World War.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
This electrifying new production celebrates the women who dared to be bold, courageous, and wholly themselves—and in doing so, became truly iconic.
—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 June 2026
And then a Mexican reporter dared to mention Lionel Messi.
—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
So before, this was a police state—and the only benefit of that was no one dared to commit crimes, particularly against a foreigner.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Not quite — the Adventist Development and Relief Agency dared to dream even bigger in 2024 with a 107-by-64-foot colossus assembled in Chile that holds the record to this day.
—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
No Utah newspaper dared to run the stories, the pair said.
—
ABC News,
10 June 2026
The paddock that no one had dared to demolish.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dared
Verb
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Jan Paul van Hecke of the Netherlands has been involved in two scraps already, the latest when he was hit while going for a header and crumbled, perhaps exaggerating a tad, after Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi challenged the header, as well.
-
Eight groups challenged the department’s definition in court, representing nurse practitioners, therapists, speech language pathologists and more.
Verb
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The victim alleged that a short time later, the suspect confronted her again in the parking lot of a Family Dollar store, according to the police report.
-
Officers confronted the man, who fled to Sonic and damaged a cash register in his attempt to evade capture, the report stated.
Verb
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Although he was dropped from several projects and his representation, Hammer maintained his innocence and ultimately faced no charges.
-
While department stores have broadly struggled during that time, Kohl’s also faced specific issues that contributed to revenue declines.
Verb
-
Fans in attendance braved the early heat and were rewarded with a cool breeze and the sunset in the background to set the stage for a game the entire world had their eyes on.
-
An international crowd of 67,966 people braved the hot Santa Clara sun to watch Switzerland face Qatar in the Bay Area’s World Cup opener at Levi’s Stadium.
Cite this Entry
“Dared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dared. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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