1
as in awakens
to cause to stop sleeping
my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awakes
to cease to be asleep
I woke with a start when the door slammed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in warns
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 wakes
The cool, gel texture is refreshing and wakes me up, hydrating and smoothing my puffy under-eyes and minimizing dark circles in 15 minutes.
—
Emma Greene, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
The novel, which was crowned champ of the spring 2024 Jimmy Fallon Book Club, follows Lee, a mother who, during a relentless winter storm, wakes to an intruder in her home.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
The discomfort also wakes me at night.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
While Lucy wakes to find her father, Hank, over her with a sinisterly warm smile.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
McLaughlin was already known for rolling up his sleeves and breaking a sweat before the sun wakes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Smart Tags snap into the bricks to control different behaviors, and a quick shake wakes everything up.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Your 4th House of Authenticity wakes as the Moon arrives, guiding you to make small changes that soothe your space and simplify plans.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
This one still wakes me up at night sometimes.
—Kati Weis, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Emma Greene, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
The novel, which was crowned champ of the spring 2024 Jimmy Fallon Book Club, follows Lee, a mother who, during a relentless winter storm, wakes to an intruder in her home.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
The discomfort also wakes me at night.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
While Lucy wakes to find her father, Hank, over her with a sinisterly warm smile.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
McLaughlin was already known for rolling up his sleeves and breaking a sweat before the sun wakes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Smart Tags snap into the bricks to control different behaviors, and a quick shake wakes everything up.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Your 4th House of Authenticity wakes as the Moon arrives, guiding you to make small changes that soothe your space and simplify plans.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
This one still wakes me up at night sometimes.
—Kati Weis, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakes
Verb
-
This awakens pleasure, chemistry and playful desire, which is kinda ideal for falling in love.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Espresso becomes a lightning rod that awakens chocolate.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When Fuller awakes several hours later, her head has been shaved, she’s covered in antihistamine cream, and she’s tied up in a basement.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The cautious Roth, however, warns that companies can be prone to abrupt reversals of fortune.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Briceno warns that loading on the lip tint can lead to product transfer, harsh edges, and a patchy finish.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
No, Kravitz is an artist who builds from the essence of his music, true rock ‘n’ roll, creating a live show that doesn’t push boundaries but rouses the audience and satisfies our yearning for a real rock star.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Americans in most of the eastern half of the country were under extreme winter weather alerts on Saturday.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The weather alerts stretch from the Southwest up through New England.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakes. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
