1
as in awakens
to cause to stop sleeping
my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of wakes
Melmo The stiffness of my jeans wakes me—almost icy in the predawn.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakes
Verb
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As the countercultural revolution begins, and music starts to change the world, Pearl awakens to a life beyond the one she’s always known.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Just at that moment, Jamie — our dream lover in every sense — awakes with a jolt.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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The next morning, Park awakes hung over before disgustingly scoffing down a handful of salmon off a caterer's serving tray.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The park warns that bear activity is especially high from May to August and advises visitors to check for closures.—
Devarrick Turner,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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Basins, aquifers, and other natural storage systems have been drained past recovery in our lifetimes, and one analyst warns markets aren’t taking the matter seriously enough.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Thankfully, there's something to that old adage about felines having nine lives because The Jellicle Ball rouses Cats from its grave.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
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Hope rouses life to continue, to expand, to grow, to reach out, to go on.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pronto and Snabbit have an SOS button within the app that alerts area supervisors in case of emergency.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
20 Apr. 2026
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Tyler Czarnopis The electrical damage took out the system's main power source, its backup power source and even the notification system that alerts staff to failures, the DNR said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakes. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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