Definition of raisenext
1
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position he asked members of the audience to raise their hands if they had been to his show before

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
5
6
7
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care raises ducks, geese, and other exotic fowl ultimately destined for the dinner table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

8
9
10
as in to introduce
to present or bring forward for discussion one member of the tour raised the subject of appropriate attire for visits to sacred sites in the Holy Land

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

11

raise

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

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.

lift the chair while I vacuum

How do rear and raise relate to one another?

Rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

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 raise
Verb
Then Kreiz took the mallet and landed a cannon-shot ring on the bell that was so loud that one of the Citadel traders turned around in shock, and even Wall Street veteran Gerry Cardinale’s eyebrows were raised. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 That duality was best embodied by the presence of Dorothy’s estranged daughter Kristine Wood, who was raised by her paternal grandparents in the wake of her mother’s substance abuse issues and is interviewed in the documentary. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
The state rejected items that could affect the budget, such as the union’s ask for a 20% raise spread across three years and stipends for those required to work in person. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026 SpaceX’s reported $40 billion debt raise to buy Nvidia chips shows it is stuck between mature tech giants like Google and Meta and startups like OpenAI and Anthropic, whose private status tends to forgive their inability to pay their own bills. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raise
Verb
  • Low clouds that developed overnight gradually lifted and scattered, allowing more sunshine and temperatures to climb into the lower 90s.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Colorado Sports Betting Laws and Timeline When the federal ban on sports betting was lifted, Colorado was among the first to act.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The University of Miami has benefited from their second-year head coach’s fresh approach, which has seemingly fostered an adaptable atmosphere and innovative mind.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Schmit has written about the role of state policy in fostering health information exchange and its benefits to the public, such as tracking measles outbreaks.
    — Alex Rosenblat — CalMatters, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Fortunately, the fake tip didn’t provoke any further actions from the PPD, and was reportedly flagged as spam after being picked up by its safeguards.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The plans laid out by the founder of the Gaza Children Village in a webinar last month have elicited ethical, safety and privacy concerns from some Palestinian and advocacy groups and at least one of the charity's partners.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Musk's comment against Ambani caused a political stir in India, eliciting a response from India's leader of opposition, Rahul Gandhi, who has consistently alleged that the government is being influenced by powerful businessmen in India.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Capping them all is JPMorgan’s proposal to erect a £3 billion, 265-meter tower that will be London’s largest office building if its plans are approved.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Water from a massive swell — double the size that was initially predicted — blasted through 20-foot berms erected at the Wedge and washed out roads from about 21st Street to 6th Street, officials said.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Biden administration built it back and set a goal of admitting 125,000 refugees during the final year of his term.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Deppert built seats in a barn to accommodate about 100 people and sold tickets for less than the Wolverines charged for entry into Recreation Park.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Its minimalist aesthetic and discreet approach to luxury perfectly capture the growing desire for versatile bags that transition effortlessly from day to evening.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There’s the ever-growing collection of vinyl and books overflowing from the lobby lounge’s shelves.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Over the next three years, Movistar Plus plans to increase its annual output of Spanish originals from eight to 16 series, alongside another 10 titles through co-production and rights acquisition agreements.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The GroundBreaker 1 selection comes as the Department of War places increasing emphasis on rapidly fielding autonomous and robotic systems capable of operating alongside warfighters.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raise. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on raise

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster