WISE (UP) Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

wise (up)

verb

Definition of wise (up)

as in to inform

to give information to wised him up to some of the more effective tricks of salesmanship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to realize

to come to an awareness of she eventually wised up to the fact that he was taking advantage of her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wise (up)

Verb

The pilots did not inform air traffic controllers of any problems with the plane prior to landing, air traffic control audio indicated.

— Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Smart travelers stay informed by reading the fine print and understanding travel requirements for their destination.

— Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of inform

Verb

Some people didn't realize a data center was being built in their community until construction began.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
George Lucas, for his part, has suggested that bringing the Lucas Museum to fruition—a project beset by delays and controversy that has taken nearly a decade to realize—was a herculean effort.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of realize

Verb

Through both global and regional open calls, PhotoVogue continues to discover and amplify voices across geographies and communities.

— Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Suresh Raut, deputy manager at the Nepal Electricity Authority, who was at the rescue site when the body was discovered, said an 11-man team, including relatives of the missing, has been dispatched to search the surrounding area.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of discover

Verb

Home plate umpire Doug Eddings called time to tell Hancel Rincon to fix his hat.

— Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Several parents previously told the Democrat-Gazette and other local media that the couple then disappeared and stopped responding to emails or phone calls.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of tell

Verb

Was hearing Roland Hayes and, in time, other inspiring artists sing Schubert, Brahms, and Schumann songs like being beckoned by a musical brook to trust her instincts and follow its unlikely path?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Lyle and Erik Menendez have been granted an early parole hearing for March 2027, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records show.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

With that, Kyle gives Oleksa a phone and instructs her to Signal chat all the info on Belarus safehouse locations, and the hunt is on.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
The agency instructed them to hold Morales García and another passenger, according to the lawsuit, and Morales García was booked into the Gillespie County Jail.

— María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of instruct

Verb

Missouri's confusion comes amid a spate of redistricting across the country normally seen just once a decade after each census.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
The Seahawks used that coverage on nearly 50% of its defensive snaps in the Super Bowl, the highest rate Maye saw all season.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of see

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.

Browse Nearby Words

wises (up)

wise (up)

wisewoman

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wise (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wise%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wise (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loath

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes