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
Ready for a home robot that wakes you up, makes breakfast and even cleans the house afterward?
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The sci-fi pic, starring Ryan Gosling as a school teacher who wakes aboard a spacecraft with amnesia, has been a winner for Amazon MGM Studios, delivering some of the best numbers for a non-franchise movie in some time.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Know what wakes me up more than a few mornings a month in Avondale, a quaint old neighborhood in Jacksonville?
—Chris Hildreth, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
The notification sound of the incoming text message wakes the guy up.
—Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
That spike wakes you up hours too early.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Your 9th House of Jaunts wakes as the high-flying Sun embraces dreamy Neptune, calling you to learn, explore, and widen your outlook.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
The sheriff arrives and wakes Sam up, just as Lila discovers Norman’s mother’s mummified body in the cellar of the house.
—Therie Hendrey-Seabrook, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
Caffeine wakes you up by inhibiting the ability of the natural sleep chemical adenosine from binding to its receptors.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2026
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The sci-fi pic, starring Ryan Gosling as a school teacher who wakes aboard a spacecraft with amnesia, has been a winner for Amazon MGM Studios, delivering some of the best numbers for a non-franchise movie in some time.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Know what wakes me up more than a few mornings a month in Avondale, a quaint old neighborhood in Jacksonville?
—Chris Hildreth, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
The notification sound of the incoming text message wakes the guy up.
—Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
That spike wakes you up hours too early.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Your 9th House of Jaunts wakes as the high-flying Sun embraces dreamy Neptune, calling you to learn, explore, and widen your outlook.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
The sheriff arrives and wakes Sam up, just as Lila discovers Norman’s mother’s mummified body in the cellar of the house.
—Therie Hendrey-Seabrook, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
Caffeine wakes you up by inhibiting the ability of the natural sleep chemical adenosine from binding to its receptors.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakes
Verb
-
The morning after giving birth, June awakens in her bed to find her baby gone; Bethel and Beauty are at the kitchen table in tears.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
In the series premiere of Netflix’s Vladimir, Rachel Weisz awakens from troubled sleep to a cascade of texts, sighs deeply, and addresses the camera with pleading eyes.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In this beloved sci-fi novel, Jason Dessen awakes strapped to a gurney surrounded by figures in hazmat suits.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Ashur awakes in this alternative timeline, but not all is blissful.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
However, despite the deluge of social media posts from hair transplant recipients, including Huffman, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery warns that many Turkish hair clinics are unlicensed and lack proper medical oversight.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But about half of all mangrove ecosystems could collapse by 2050, the United Nations warns.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hope rouses life to continue, to expand, to grow, to reach out, to go on.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
The Cass County jail alerts prosecutors when individuals are booked into its facility, but not law enforcement agencies.—
April Baumgarten,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Norton 360 Deluxe includes a dark web monitoring tool that continually scans dark web sites and shady forums for your private information and alerts you to data breaches.—
PCMag BrandX for Norton,
PC Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakes. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
