DARES Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

dares

verb

present tense third-person singular of dare

as in challenges

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

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as in confronts

to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage every day the old fisherman dared the elements to make his meager living

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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 dares People demand consistent application of laws that are riddled with subjective anomalies, then bemoan a lack of common sense whenever an official dares to interpret a rule too literally. —

Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 And maybe one of those records was… The bard of New England dares to get meaningful on this two-part song, which begins by pondering the mysteries of time and ends with a singalong ode to seasonal renewal. —

Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026 This month, the cosmos dares you to do things differently, so trust your instincts and embrace the momentum. —

Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026 Trump’s Cabinet meetings might as well be filmed in North Korea what with the obsequious pandering before one of them dares speak. —

Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026 Her legacy indeed lives on in Definitely Thriving, a book which dares to treat the small canvas of an ordinary woman’s experience with seriousness and respect, all the while maintaining that necessary sense of humor which makes the whole thing—life itself—mostly bearable. —

Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026 For 67 years, the Cuban dictatorship has crushed dissent through tyranny, repression, persecution, and prison for anyone who dares to think differently or speak the word freedom. —

- Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026 The pain and exhaustion and grief are so real and oppressive, the camera never dares set a foot outside. —

Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 And each dares to honor the humanity in characters often reduced to predators and prey by one faction, shrill social justice warriors and brave free thinkers by another. —

Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dares

Verb

Blending investigative storytelling, history, and personal narrative, The Vodou Project challenges old perceptions and celebrates the spiritual and cultural heritage at the heart of Haitian identity.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Phillip frequently challenges Jennings, but her most notable rebuke involved fitness trainer Jillian Michaels in August last year.

— Jay Stahl, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026