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as in to awake
to cease to be asleep
she usually wakens when sunlight begins to stream through the windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waken
However, my condo association includes several dozen inland three-story condominium buildings, which means that the chance that our residents will be wakened by their building collapsing around them is near zero.
—
Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
More than that, there is obvious attraction — Mags has a bisexual side that suddenly wakens from long slumber.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
The dogs were asleep in their kennels at the time and wakened only when the would-be thief was discovered by the staff.
—Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016
As the world—wakened by the recent terrorist attacks in Baghdad, Beirut, Paris, and now in California and London, too—struggles to defeat the Islamic State (also called ISIS), the answer is more important than ever.
—Jacob Olidort, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2015
Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017
Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones.
—Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 19 May 2020
The startling display of acrobatics came, according to police, on Oct. 19, after homeowners in the 700 block of Pershing Drive in Silver Spring were wakened about 2:15 a.m. by the sound of a door.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2019
Before the Sword, by Grace Lin Mulan crept into her house, even though the Rabbit had told her the villagers would not waken even with the loudest of noises.
—David Canfield, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2019
Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
More than that, there is obvious attraction — Mags has a bisexual side that suddenly wakens from long slumber.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
The dogs were asleep in their kennels at the time and wakened only when the would-be thief was discovered by the staff.
—Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016
As the world—wakened by the recent terrorist attacks in Baghdad, Beirut, Paris, and now in California and London, too—struggles to defeat the Islamic State (also called ISIS), the answer is more important than ever.
—Jacob Olidort, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2015
Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017
Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones.
—Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 19 May 2020
The startling display of acrobatics came, according to police, on Oct. 19, after homeowners in the 700 block of Pershing Drive in Silver Spring were wakened about 2:15 a.m. by the sound of a door.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2019
Before the Sword, by Grace Lin Mulan crept into her house, even though the Rabbit had told her the villagers would not waken even with the loudest of noises.
—David Canfield, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waken
Verb
-
The motor runs at just 43 decibels, so it can be used while the baby is sleeping without waking them.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
-
Fox News and similar corners of the internet were ablaze with myopic insistences that any inclusion of, or even nod to, this rather essential, commonplace, and well-known part of the Superman backstory made the new movie, somehow, another piece of woke Hollywood nonsense.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Gupta awoke the girl to feed her dinner at 9 p.m., and the 4-year-old remained awake until 12:30 a.m., the affidavit says.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
4 July 2025
-
As the sun rose beyond the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in central Washington, Mike McLeod awoke and turned his thoughts to the frustrating hunt.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The defense, with its framing, wanted to awaken any latent unease that a juror—an older one, perhaps—might feel toward the preceding years of correction between the sexes.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
3 July 2025
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What Santana has awakened from the Earth, alongside the continued popular appeal of his art, has stirred other echoes familiar to his incredible career.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
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An Electrifying Farewell As the final chords rang out and Chaka brought the night full circle with a rousing encore of I’m Every Woman, a tangible electricity surged through the crowd and everybody danced, including the most reserved concert goers.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Edwards was reunited with former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego and got a rousing ovation when the Chargers returned to Arrowhead.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waken. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.
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