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
Tech stocks slid worldwide Monday after another jump in oil prices briefly pushed the 10-year Treasury yield to 5%, marking the bond market’s latest pressure-raising milestone.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2026 Competitors with worse economics could outspend us on marketing, undercut us on price and still raise more money because the market was paying for a story about growth, not a business.—
Serhii Zakharov,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2026
Noun
The government ministers who will receive raises are elected lawmakers who lead ministries and help make national policies, while allowances for other lawmakers also will increase.—ABC News,
8 Sep. 2026 Makar gave up future raises by signing for the maximum of eight years, but if Hughes wants three years at $20 million per, the Wild almost surely would do it.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raise
But the sour mood that numerous surveys and polls have found about the state of the city does not appear to have magically lifted.
—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Sep. 2026
And votes from Democrats, who are likely to balk at any major cuts to spending programs frequently targeted by Republicans, would be required to lift debt ceiling legislation over the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate.
But there are still plenty of small, independent clubs building IRL scenes and fostering community.
—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
17 Sep. 2026
Members must commit to progress in three areas — building climate resilience, preserving resources and fostering inclusiveness — and are required to report on progress on a regular basis.
Bum-seok, Sung-ae, and Sung-ki do find a shambolic Hawksian unity, after a fashion; Sung-ae, in particular, has only to step out of a car with a military-grade rifle to elicit spontaneous applause.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
4 Sep. 2026
The period war epic, confidently backed for some $14 million, elegantly weaves three gay narratives from different periods that all elicit deep emotion.
Kanin Energy has raised up to $100 million in new equity financing to develop, build and operate waste heat-to-power and other on-site power projects across Canada and the US.
The platform decides which content receives additional exposure, and that exposure can influence who discovers a creator and whether the creator’s audience grows.
—
Sergi Cerrato,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2026
Out of that conversation grew my novel The Undead, which is, in some ways, a parting love letter to Moscow.
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