1
: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects
2
: the time when the upper limb of the sun appears above the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth
Examples of sunrise in a Sentence
We were up before sunrise.
We worked from sunrise to sunset.
We watched the sunrise from the beach.
the pink light of sunrise
Recent Examples on the Web
Its light imitates an actual sunrise, gradually going from red to bright white.
—
Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Jan. 2026
Mars begins to reappear in the third week of March, rising before sunrise among the faint stars of Aquarius.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2026
And when sunrise was artificially delayed by three hours, the rate of the finches' singing intensified and commenced sooner compared with non-delayed sunrises.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
For most areas near Pittsburgh, the snow will start wrapping up before sunrise on New Year's Day, with only light snow left over as Thursday goes on.
—Mary Ours, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sunrise
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Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Jan. 2026
Mars begins to reappear in the third week of March, rising before sunrise among the faint stars of Aquarius.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2026
And when sunrise was artificially delayed by three hours, the rate of the finches' singing intensified and commenced sooner compared with non-delayed sunrises.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
For most areas near Pittsburgh, the snow will start wrapping up before sunrise on New Year's Day, with only light snow left over as Thursday goes on.
—Mary Ours, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sunrise
Cite this Entry
“Sunrise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunrise. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sunrise
noun
sun·rise
ˈsən-ˌrīz 
1
: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects (as color)
2
: the time at which the sun rises
Geographical Definition
Sunrise
geographical name
Sun·rise
ˈsən-ˌrīz
city in southeastern Florida west of Fort Lauderdale population 84,439
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