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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
Lebanon in the crosshairs: Beirut was wakened Thursday by at least six Israeli airstrikes slamming into the southern suburbs of the city.
—
Júlia Ledur,
Washington Post,
5 Mar. 2026
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
Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones.
—
Jonathan Beverly,
Outside Online,
19 May 2020
Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world.
—
Christof Koch,
Scientific American,
1 Nov. 2017
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
Júlia Ledur,
Washington Post,
5 Mar. 2026
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
Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones.
—
Jonathan Beverly,
Outside Online,
19 May 2020
Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world.
—
Christof Koch,
Scientific American,
1 Nov. 2017
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waken
Verb
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Cut to Buffy waking to an empty pillow next to her, and Angel, now without his soul, having a snack on the street.
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When your dopamine levels, the chemical baseline responsible for motivation and pursuit, are naturally low, your brain searches for quick stimuli to wake itself up.
Verb
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Five years ago, Florida’s millions of condo dwellers awoke to a new reality.
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The Norwegian Royal House declined to comment on whether the king and Queen Sonja had been awoken by the festivities, or if the monarch had stayed up to watch the match.
Verb
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Who’s to say international futbol isn’t ready to begrudgingly welcome a new epoch in the sport, and that is might be led by a host nation that proves itself a sleeping giant awakened?
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However, Kalwinski has awakened me to the fact that such civic pride can apply just as much to the Bears being in Hammond as being in Arlington Heights.
Verb
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Pulisic entered the game to a rousing cheer at the 58-minute mark, replacing Tim Weah.
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The bergamot opens bright; my favorite note, neroli, gives it a crisp, happy center, and a rousing patchouli base roosts for hours without ever turning heavy.
Cite this Entry
“Waken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waken. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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