to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
a proposal to cover the library's red brick with vinyl siding raised a mighty ruckus with those favoring historical preservation
How does the verb raise contrast with its synonyms?
Some common synonyms of raise are boost, elevate, heave, hoist, lift, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.
scouts raising a flagpole
In what contexts can boost take the place of raise?
The synonyms boost and raise are sometimes interchangeable, but boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.
boosted his brother over the fence
How does the word elevate relate to other synonyms for raise?
Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.
elevated the taste of the public
When might heave be a better fit than raise?
In some situations, the words heave and raise are roughly equivalent. However, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.
heaved the heavy crate inside
When could hoist be used to replace raise?
The words hoist and raise can be used in similar contexts, but hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.
hoisted the cargo on board
When is it sensible to use lift instead of raise?
Although the words lift and raise have much in common, lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.
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Recent Examples of raise
Verb
Colby Howard, president of Heron Events at Heron Intelligence, raised one point of caution when looking towards Investor Day next month and the innovation pipeline for 2027.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
5 Oct. 2026 In her telling, that leaves younger workers with less money to buy homes, raise children, build savings, or invest in their own retirement—while a system ostensibly designed to prevent poverty still leaves some older Americans poor.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2026
Noun
The work groups, which make up Boeing’s largest white-collar union, overwhelmingly rejected an earlier offer with 3% annual raises.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2026 Inflation has dominated conversations this year in business and households, and meager pay raises have made rising prices more painful for many.—
Matt Ott,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raise
The technology that investors and governments are counting on to lift the global economy is also adding pressure that threatens growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund said, urging policymakers to stop delaying painful choices on debt.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2026
From setting up special meals to just brightening days with smiles and genuine care, the staff here lift the already luxury experience to the next level.
Modern politics is not built to foster long-term thinking about such challenges, said longtime political strategist Darry Sragow.
—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Oct. 2026
Central bankers adjust the target range on the fed funds rate for two reasons — their dual mandate of maximizing employment and fostering stable prices.
Trotting out this try-hard trifecta of confusing, uninspired installments in a year that’s seen so many entertaining, thought-provoking additions to the horror genre?
—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2026
Ayer came on board the film after reading Cameron Alexander’s script, which provoked such a strong emotional response that the director couldn’t resist taking the material on.
In Mississippi, for two decades, sheriff’s deputies routinely water-boarded and beat people in order to elicit a confession, according to a 2023 investigation by Mississippi Today.
—
Claire Healy,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2026
Even heartfelt moments where Jackie’s deepest secrets are revealed, connecting her sordid past to her chaotic future, fail to elicit a true emotional tug.
The court’s decision comes just weeks after the administration erected the first border wall panels in the Big Bend sector in the middle of September.
—
Rebecca Santana,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Oct. 2026
The blades were smaller then, the towers shorter, the whole apparatus closer to a windmill than the hulking machines erected today—the tallest of which exceed 300 meters, with rotor blades longer than a football field.
Officials said during the Oval Office event that building the pipeline will take three years and that exports of liquified natural gas would begin two years after that -- but that was dependent on financing coming through fully.
—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Oct. 2026
In the hands of the Great Gulf Group, Shift has been untended since it was built, an object of neglect.
Contributions would increase depending on family size, with a family of four expected to pay $500,000, officials said.
—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Oct. 2026
Europe in particular appears vulnerable to increasing borrowing costs, with inflation in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain all exceeding analysts’ expectations.
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