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.
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 raise
Verb
Style Capital’s 11 investments since its founding have helped raise Benaglia’s profile globally.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
21 Sep. 2026 Some homeowners still ‘locked in’ Mortgage rates have remained stubbornly above 6% since the Federal Reserve began aggressively raising interest rates in 2022 to combat inflation.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2026
Noun
Social Security recipients may get the largest pay raise in three years in 2027, according to new calculations that include the latest August inflation data.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2026 Also, Joe Buck, who calls games for $15 million at ESPN, will be in line for a major raise once his contract ends this year.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raise
When strands are dry or damaged, the cuticle lifts and starts pulling water from the air, which is why the same head of hair can look glossy in January and a halo of static by August.
—
Valeriya Chupinina,
Vogue,
22 Sep. 2026
That will help lift the local content in CEER cars from around 18% to 45% by 2034.
At the start of the war, many economists and analysts feared that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz would provoke an acute energy crisis and economic downturn, or worse.
—
RICHARD HAASS,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Sep. 2026
Tom Cruise‘s Digger is being called a very big swing of a dramatic satire that’s provoking very mixed reactions after the film’s first press screenings.
Four actors, affixed with in-ear monitors, occupy different seats as testimony is elicited, provided and undermined.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Sep. 2026
Robinson argued that the prosecution had essentially used the inquest as a trap to elicit information from Lizzie that could later be used against her.
For twenty-three days of summer grazing, her crew had needed to erect and dismantle twelve thousand yards of fence line.
—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2026
Despite a preliminary injunction barring the venue from closing, people were kicked out of the building and barricades erected in the name of public safety that same day.
Last October, OpenAI announced plans to partner with a local company to build a data centre powered by clean energy costing up to $25 billion.
—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
24 Sep. 2026
At a time when the race to build the best frontier models is center stage, the competition to establish the next hardware platform is shaping up to be just as important.
The political costs will be calculated in November’s midterm congressional elections, with Republicans facing increasing headwinds from the war’s unpopularity.
—
Ben Finley,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Sep. 2026
For a house assessed at the county average of $270,000 last year, this year’s county tax bill would increase $58 to $2,165, according to a Miami Herald calculation based on a home that pays county taxes for municipal, fire and library services.
Copy Citation
