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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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
And this time, even the GOP seawall of Texas couldn’t withstand its wake. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026 In wake of the allegations in 2006, church officials reported Moore to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and shared the allegations from the previous year. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
The staffers attempted to wake him, contacted medical personnel, declared an emergency and called 911. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Flipping the Folio cover open and closed does put the phone to sleep and wake it up. — ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 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
  • Debates over consciousness have further complicated the conversation about how to regulate AI.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Who controls Starshield is a question that entered the public consciousness in the wake of the Ukraine Starshield speed limit affair.
    — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of consciousness
Verb
  • The film follows three animatronic robots who awaken after centuries of silence to discover humanity has vanished and embark on a journey to find their creators.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But a burning rage and hunger for vengeance awakens in the flames.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of awaken
Verb
  • More important, Europe has finally awoken to the economic threat from China, because the surge of auto and industrial exports from China to Europe poses an existential challenge for the continent’s economic model.
    — THEODORE BUNZEL, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The Heat awoke Tuesday as the NBA’s only 0-4 team and thoroughly bewildered about how a group that fashioned itself a contender could continue to perform so poorly.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of awake
Verb
  • Cities and counties had warned the amendment could dramatically affect their ability to function.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Qalibaf also warned that Iran's armed forces remained at the highest level of defensive readiness.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of warn
Noun
  • Identified through foundational neuroscience research, the Sleep Onset Pattern is a distinctive brainwave signature that marks the brain's natural transition from wakefulness toward sleep.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The science behind sleep paralysis Sharpless says that a brain stuck between dreams and wakefulness produces this phenomenon.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of wakefulness
Verb
  • Helen, roused from sleep by the smell of coffee, went into the kitchen.
    — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Quite the letdown from those rousing performances in Games 2 and 3.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of rouse
Verb
  • But recently, her landlord alerted tenants that a new apartment would be built over their garages, eliminating parking during one to two years of construction and possibly beyond.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Fulton County operates its own legitimate text notification system, known as FALCON, which can alert voters to actual polling-place changes.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 3 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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