wake 1 of 2

noun

Definition of wakenext
as in consciousness

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wake

2 of 2

verb

ˈwāk How to pronounce wake (audio)
1
as in to awaken
to cause to stop sleeping my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to awake
to cease to be asleep I woke with a start when the door slammed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to warn
to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or risk a public service announcement designed to wake people to the dangers of aggressive driving

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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 wake
Noun
Approximately 10,000 Chicagoans turned out for her wake and funeral. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026 In the immediate wake of the deal, Stewart spoke to Zucker and Marco Bassetti, who becomes Banijay Entertainment CEO. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 July 2026
Verb
Beyond the huge gym windows, Maharashtra is waking to another green-gold morning of bulbul birdsong and mooching mongooses. — Horatio Clare, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 June 2026 Facial puffiness on waking happens because lymph flow slows overnight when the body is horizontal and still, letting fluid pool in the face. — Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for wake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake
  1. consciousness
  2. awaken
  3. awake
  4. warn
  5. wakefulness
  6. rouse
  7. alert
Noun
  • No wonder the genre struck a chord with young people; these stories were free, highly bingeable, and—best of all—supposedly autobiographical, offering stream-of-consciousness storytelling straight from the bleeding heart of your fellow postgrad.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Adkins then began stabbing himself with the box cutter and drifting in and out of consciousness, the affidavit states.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
Definition of consciousness
Verb
  • And apparently anyone did because later that night I was awakened by hostile yelling from the corridor just outside my room.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Uranus’ connection to Neptune awakens a bold idea within you!
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of awaken
Verb
  • While preparing for a trip, he is rendered unconscious using knockout gas and awakes to find himself inside a perfect recreation of his own home, but this one is located in a mysterious settlement known as The Village.
    — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
  • Chicago awoke two days later to find almost 18,000 buildings destroyed, much of the city leveled, 90,000 people homeless and 300-some people dead.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of awake
Verb
  • However, Mural warned, individual small data centers might not interrupt the flow of electricity much, but a cluster of them could.
    — Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • Trump has warned that the US would strike bridges and power plants in Iran next week unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of warn
Noun
  • But in people with narcolepsy, such boundaries become blurred, allowing elements of sleep to intrude into wakefulness in varying ways.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • The clinical data demonstrated significant improvements in wakefulness and reductions in excessive daytime sleepiness at week eight, outperforming the placebo with a generally favorable safety profile.
    — Sasirekha Subramanian, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of wakefulness
Verb
  • Rhaenyra is at her happiest finally facing the hungry people of King’s Landing, giving a rousing speech before passing out bread and fruit and grain and other sundries to the smallfolk.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • The film culminates in the Battle of the Monongahela in 1755, where Washington steps up and delivers a rousing speech to the British army despite their defeat.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of rouse
Verb
  • Under the proposal, the company would also have to alert the city in writing within 24 hours of any data breach.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Swisher was conducting a traffic stop on westbound Texas 114 when he was alerted that a car pouring smoke was heading toward him.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of alert

Browse Nearby Words

waiving
wake
wakeful
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Cite this Entry

“Wake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wake

Nglish: Translation of wake for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wake

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