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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Magdalena Jablonska of Des Plaines was killed on July 25 when a triple-engine pontoon boat operated by 45-year-old Richard Stevenson of Lisle collided with her boat in a no-wake zone. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 In the meantime, the off-price sector (along with Walmart and Amazon) has left store closures and excess inventory in its wake. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
Guests wake to misty mountain mornings, wildflower fields, and interiors styled with the same thoughtful touches found in the shop. — Jaha Nailah Avery, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026 Drinking coffee immediately after waking may spike cortisol, causing stress, energy crashes, and disrupted sleep. — Erin Hooker Published, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 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
  • Such a mind might fail an unverifiable consciousness test at the same time that its persistent interests start to boldly assert themselves.
    — Andréa Morris, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The idea that the gooey mass inside the skull contains some ineffable, nonprogrammable essence—consciousness, spirit, or something else—may be intuitively appealing.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of consciousness
Verb
  • My massage therapist said that this serum, derived from Hawaiian comfrey and noni plants infused into rich macadamia nut oil, works to awaken fatigued cells, according to the serum-maker.
    — Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In 2002, two years after the events of the first film, three ghost hunters unwittingly awaken the Marionette.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of awaken
Verb
  • Robert Sinners, communications director for Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and his fiancee, CBS News Atlanta reporter Madeline Montgomery, awoke shortly after midnight to the sound of gunfire outside their southwest Atlanta home.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • When Mukanoheli awoke hours later, her hand immediately went to her belly.
    — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of awake
Verb
  • And by lunch, the bloody tableau has been forgotten, right on time for the arrival of Robert Mallory, the new student Susan had warned the others about.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Eight maritime groups signed a joint open letter to the UN and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Monday, warning that introducing tolls could drive up costs for consumers and undermine the principles of free navigation.
    — Todd Symons, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 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
  • Abdul El-Sayed, a rabble-rousing populist and former public health official, just barely eked out a primary victory Tuesday in Michigan over a centrist rival who was the pick of Washington Democrats to keep a must-hold Senate seat.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Around three in the morning, after the evening Kenzo had died, the woman had suddenly woken up, having been roused by the sound of water coming from the house next door.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of rouse
Verb
  • Mexican authorities alerted United States officials that Yolanda had been found on March 22, the SDSO said at the time.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • On Tuesday, when the president was departing Washington for a trip to the West Coast, the Marine One pilot tried to contact the tower at DCA three times to alert air traffic controllers that the presidential helicopter was minutes away from liftoff.
    — Kathryn Krupnik, CBS News, 5 Aug. 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 11 Aug. 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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