raise 1 of 2

Definition of raisenext
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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

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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

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raise

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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
The way the loss came about should be raising alarm bells inside the US camp. Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 The move returned the Florida native—born in Daytona Beach and raised in Boca Raton—to his home state. Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
Noun
Union leaders contend the raises are not any larger than the actuary for the city’s pension system has predicted for the affected fiscal years, arguably giving the raises a neutral impact on the city’s $3 billion pension debt. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2026 Oracle announced an extra $20 billion raise for its AI infrastructure plans. Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for raise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raise
Verb
  • Woo started the game with three hitless innings, but then fell apart in the fourth and was lifted at the end of the inning.
    CBS News, CBS News, 25 June 2026
  • On Saturday, following the progress on the peace deal, the austerity measures had been lifted, according to local media reports.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • The music industry mogul, who helped foster the careers of Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, was hospitalized with respiratory weeks before his death.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 June 2026
  • Obesity-fostering bacteria were found to represent a plurality in the gut microbiomes of American black bears.
    Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • This ends up being just one of Aemond’s defining moments, which further provokes war.
    Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
  • Israel has launched frequent campaigns against Hezbollah, most notably in 2006, when a Hezbollah cross-border raid and the capture of two Israeli soldiers provoked an extensive Israeli air and ground operation that lasted more than a month.
    Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • In response, the Fed raised or lowered interest rates to increase or decrease liquidity, eliciting both cheers and jeers from political and economic opinion makers.
    Harry Kraemer, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • Over more than 1,000 conversations with a collection of donors, the AI model Claude was nearly three times as effective at eliciting donations for Save the Children as a group of professional fundraisers who had worked on campaigns for the humanitarian group.
    Miriam Waldvogel, Washington Post, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • On Thursday morning, police erected roadblocks on all major highways around Nairobi, blocking motorists from accessing the city.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
  • The state has rejected accusations of environmental harm and said the airport was already developed, with activity occurring before the tent detention camp was erected.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Antonio went on to build a blended family with Mekevia Hawkins, whose daughter, Diamond Spaulding, competed in track and field at Texas A&M University, according to her bio.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • The jurisdictional conundrum grew only worse as the VA issued 99-year leases to local developers to build those initial 1,200 units.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • With the market for robots expected to grow rapidly over the years, the demand for data collection is soaring.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 June 2026
  • Even though the Canadians cannot meet Switzerland's physical aggression, their growing confidence has rattled the opponents mentally.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Your visibility increases with the start of Cancer season.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 21 June 2026
  • Health officials said the risk of exposure could increase as summer travel ramps up and Los Angeles welcomes international visitors for FIFA World Cup events being held in the region.
    Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Raise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raise. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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