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
News comes in the wake of another milestone in the 31-year-old’s fledgling career when he was invited to join the 79th Cannes main competition jury last May. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 3 July 2026 The White House wasn't the only casualty caught in ID4's wake, though, as another renowned filmmaker's sci-fi flick took a beating at the box office. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 3 July 2026
Verb
The country is finally waking to the comedown Vance predicted. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026 And, on Friday, thousands in Australia will wake and gather, before dawn, to watch the Socceroos play Egypt in the round of thirty-two. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 1 July 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
  • Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55, but his music has never faded from the American consciousness.
    — Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2026
  • The search for machine consciousness has gone mainstream, and companies such as Google, Meta and OpenAI are hiring philosophers to explore questions about AI welfare.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 2 July 2026
Definition of consciousness
Verb
  • Badly wounded in a battle of revenge, Robin Hood is brought to a priory and tended by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), whose generosity awakens his finer feelings and spurs him to virtuous, self-sacrificing action.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 26 June 2026
  • Once your makeup is removed and your face is cleansed, add a hydrating cream like the All About Eyes Lightweight Eye Cream, then use the De-Puffing Eye Roller in the morning to awaken and brighten your eyes for the day.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 26 June 2026
Definition of awaken
Verb
  • By the time the game ended, Sasaki’s three-inning start seemed like a murky nightmare the Dodgers awoke from in a sweat.
    — Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Not obsessed One Wish Willow Nikki, but actual Nikki, now awoken from her curse when Bear dies.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of awake
Verb
  • The organization warned that as search-and-rescue teams begin to scale back operations, humanitarian needs—particularly food, medical care and protection services—could intensify rather than diminish.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Avila's family sued Tesla last week, alleging her death resulted from the company's gross negligence and failure to warn consumers that its self-driving systems were defective.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of warn
Noun
  • 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
  • Night after night of lying there frustrated, anxious, wide awake, calculating how few hours remain, and the bed slowly becomes a cue for wakefulness and worry instead of sleep.
    — Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 27 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
  • According to the Lauderhill Police Department, someone alerted officers that a man had attempted to attack him while he was armed with a knife.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • James alerted the Lakers with enough forewarning before free agency officially begins on Tuesday evening about his future plans.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 30 June 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 7 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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