Synonyms of dares

dares

verb

present tense third-person singular of dare

1

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• challenges
• confronts
• defies
• stumps
• braves
• breasts
• faces
• brazens
• outbraves
• outfaces
• beards

2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confronts
• faces
• braves
• defies
• withstands
• resists
• encounters
• breasts
• stands up to
• meets
• brazens
• outbraves
• stands
• challenges
• fights
• outfaces
• approaches
• fronts
• beards
• opposes
• affronts
• corners
• accosts
• faces up (to)
• repels
• contends (with)
• battles
• combats
• squares (off)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoids
• sidesteps
• shirks
• shuns
• dodges
• ducks
• eschews
• escapes
• shakes
• evades
• eludes
• funks

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dares

Even an ordinary staircase practically dares you to stare at it long enough to convince yourself something moved. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

There is a collective sagging in the air, but nobody dares complain. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026

Around the novel’s halfway point, one of Harper’s characters dares to change, or try changing, his relationship to the Beast. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

It was launched into a highly radioactive patch of low-Earth orbit where almost nothing else dares to fly. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026

It’s described that a powerful and surprisingly funny story about an unlikely community that dares to take on one of the largest institutions in the nation. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 8 July 2026

Interest groups have capitalized on those fears, savaging any politician who dares to touch senior benefits or taxes. — Jessica Riedl, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

More than a century later, the Chicago World's Fair remains one of the most remarkable chapters in this city's history and a powerful reminder of what can happen when a city dares to dream big. — Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 27 June 2026