1
as in to awaken
to cause to stop sleeping
the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to awake
to cease to be asleep
set the alarm so we would arouse at 5:00 a.m.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the court's controversial decision aroused many to protest and to lobby the legislature for a constitutional amendment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arouse
Cassie admitted that ecstasy made her feel euphoric and aroused, while ketamine would make her dissociative.
—
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
Sidelining people who voiced those views aroused righteous wrath.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The decision to involve the United States in espionage aroused little public opposition, both in Washington’s day and for decades to come.
—James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Monday aroused more questions than answers from the Miami Dolphins.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
Sidelining people who voiced those views aroused righteous wrath.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The decision to involve the United States in espionage aroused little public opposition, both in Washington’s day and for decades to come.
—James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Monday aroused more questions than answers from the Miami Dolphins.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouse
Verb
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Leah’s inheritance becomes the inciting incident in a series of events that unravel her life: Her trip awakens a latent violence in her husband and an invigorating independent streak in her.—
Xochitl Gonzalez,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2025
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The experience was shared on Reddit, where the passenger detailed how the person seated behind him, in first class nonetheless, repeatedly tapped and slapped the person's head and hat to awaken him to help retrieve a lost earbud.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2025
Verb
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When Mendler awoke some mornings, her mom would still be tapping away at her architectural designs.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2025
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A week later, Carlos was awoken at 5 a.m. and told to pack up.—
Allison McCann,
New York Times,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Couple that with an alarming increase in misogyny in both politics and the culture at large, and women in the public eye are at constant risk of accidentally provoking these types of hate campaigns.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
13 June 2025
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The 1925 offside rule, therefore, initially created incredibly attack-minded football, and then provoked considerably more cautious football.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
With an early-rising 11-month-old, who, without fail, woke before our alarm buzzed each morning, sleep—let alone restful, continuous sleep—was a far-off dream.—
Alisha Prakash,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2025
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Eventually, while being held and shaken by a sobbing Timothy, Lochlan wakes back up.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Part of Sumner’s motivation for his rousing Cooper Union address was to reframe the Civil War in the eyes of the international community.—
Zaakir Tameez
June 11,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
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The French Open champ received a rousing standing ovation while seated courtside at the New York Liberty-Chicago Sky game at Barclays Center on Tuesday, June 10 — and cameras caught the tennis phenom’s seeming surprise at the reception.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
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In order to protect his brother, Gi-jun encouraged Ju-woon and Bong-san to stage a coup.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
6 June 2025
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Trump reportedly encouraged Vance to strike a diplomatic tone publicly.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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These drugs stimulate the pancreas to release insulin, which then decreases blood sugar levels.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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During the growing season, the plant is a heavy feeder that needs regular fertilization to stimulate new growth and flowers.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouse. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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