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
It's been a while since any boat wakes disturbed the water.
—
John Ramos, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Maybe this will be the thing that finally wakes them up.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
All this within a year unless KC wakes the hell up.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Plus, it’s also made with caffeine, rosewater, and blueberry for a cooling feeling that instantly wakes me up.
—Melony Forcier, InStyle, 30 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
John Ramos, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Maybe this will be the thing that finally wakes them up.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
All this within a year unless KC wakes the hell up.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Plus, it’s also made with caffeine, rosewater, and blueberry for a cooling feeling that instantly wakes me up.
—Melony Forcier, InStyle, 30 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakes
Verb
-
Mailena Wellness Resort, on the Baja California shoreline, awakens wellness on Mexico’s west coast with its state-of-the-art Wellness and Longevity Center.—
Jane Alexander,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Set inside the world’s most popular video game, the film imagines a next-gen AI system that allows in-game characters to become sentient, shifting the game from entertainment into a living universe that awakens, evolves and begins interacting with human beings.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ashur awakes in this alternative timeline, but not all is blissful.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2026
-
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 huts are owned by the Truckee Donner Land Trust, which warns that the journey from the trailhead to the cabins takes several hours and passes through dangerous avalanche terrain.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
An alert from the US Embassy in Cuba warns US travelers of the fuel shortages and advises them to be prepared for prolonged power outages.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Feb. 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
-
Identity theft services monitor your identity across all three credit bureaus and alerts you to new credit inquiries, account openings, and changes to your credit file.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Where temperatures are lowest and wintry precipitation is likely, the National Weather Service has issued numerous cold and winter weather alerts across the Southeastern United States.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakes. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
