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
The measure, Assembly Bill 1130, came in the wake of a controversy in the June primary election when social media influencers took on a more visible role in the campaigns. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 In wake of Panettiere’s death, her mother released a statement, apparently referencing Hickerson, albeit not by name. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
The latter is great for allowing natural light to wake you up. — New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026 The two orange jackets rattled a nearby metal barrier to wake Peter up. — Anand Giridharadas, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 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
  • Images of hospitals overwhelmed with the sick and dying flooded our consciousness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The feeling of having this community of students and friends and mentors and elders, also the texture and the culture of HBCUs, and then the political consciousness of the show.
    — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of consciousness
Verb
  • Played with exquisite, improbably expressive steeliness by Florence Pugh, Cathy does not awaken from nowhere as a predator.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • That day in August, the woman was awakened by Ross, who was enraged by a photo she was tagged in on Instagram, according to Ross’ arrest report.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of awaken
Verb
  • Back in 2018, Tarantino reportedly awoke in the middle of the night to find two burglars inside his home.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Alice gets to keep her leg, albeit with extensive scarring, and Anna does her best to forget about the sacrificial part of the pact until she is awoken one night by a noise downstairs.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of awake
Verb
  • The sheriff’s department also warned that scammers could attempt to capitalize on the high-profile investigation and urged anyone who receives messages related to the case to contact law enforcement.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The term received Beijing’s support in the last two annual government work reports, although authorities have warned of a bubble in the humanoid robot industry.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of warn
Noun
  • Porodina is fascinated with hypnagogia, the threshold state between sleep and wakefulness.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Ninety-five out of 111 imaged cells lit up during slow-wave sleep and quiet, motionless wakefulness, and fell silent during running and REM sleep.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of wakefulness
Verb
  • Peter roused again but had grown more certain since his last utterance.
    — Anand Giridharadas, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Bremen has received more acclaim than Model for its 4-0 start, partly because of a rousing 38-19 victory in its opener against four-time reigning Class A champion Bowdon.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of rouse
Verb
  • Some identity theft companies include Dark Web Monitoring that searches for exposed personal information and alerts you when it is found.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But the apps’ creators and proponents argued the apps were simply a way for users to avoid contact with law enforcement and bore little difference in how Apple and Google maps let users alert others to police speed traps.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wake

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wake

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