1
as in challenged
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat
I dare you to repeat that to my face! he dared his friend to race to the end of the block
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in confronted
to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage
every day the old fisherman dared the elements to make his meager living
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 dared
Their mother had dared their father to crash the car.
—
Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
And if Black passengers dared to pull the curtain aside, the dining car steward would hurriedly pull the curtain closed, or worse.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
In a world of singular cinnamon rolls, this cluster of mini cinnamon rolls dared to be different.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
During a clip shown to fashion executive Kaylee at one bonfire, her gregarious fitness coach boyfriend Summit is dared in a game to kiss somebody in his villa.
—Todd Gilchrist, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
But even at its most tender, Motown never dared to be as unabashedly sultry as the Ottavianos.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 26 Apr. 2026
Braves manager Walt Weiss essentially dared Thomson to open his bullpen by deploying Harris there.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Fallon even dared Coughlan to ask Dave Grohl — who is serving as musical guest with his band Foo Fighters — to be her best friend.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
No president since dared challenge Iran.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
And if Black passengers dared to pull the curtain aside, the dining car steward would hurriedly pull the curtain closed, or worse.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
In a world of singular cinnamon rolls, this cluster of mini cinnamon rolls dared to be different.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
During a clip shown to fashion executive Kaylee at one bonfire, her gregarious fitness coach boyfriend Summit is dared in a game to kiss somebody in his villa.
—Todd Gilchrist, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
But even at its most tender, Motown never dared to be as unabashedly sultry as the Ottavianos.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 26 Apr. 2026
Braves manager Walt Weiss essentially dared Thomson to open his bullpen by deploying Harris there.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Fallon even dared Coughlan to ask Dave Grohl — who is serving as musical guest with his band Foo Fighters — to be her best friend.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
No president since dared challenge Iran.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dared
Verb
-
Creeden’s attorney, Andino Reynal, challenged Stapp’s testimony that the union’s constitution requires expenses to be approved by the international president and the secretary-treasurer.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
-
The friend threw a glass bottle at Sowells, who then pulled out a sharp object and challenged him to a fight.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
His defense lawyers told the court that Fleming immediately confessed when confronted by authorities and turned over incriminating text messages from his cellphone that later led to Sangha’s arrest.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2026
-
Members of the Basij paramilitary force had pushed Biglari and a handful of others into their base and confronted them there, the family member said.—
Babak Dehghanpisheh,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Chelsea’s squad demographic falls somewhere in between but is probably closer to the former than the latter, and a football legend with his resume should not encounter the authority problems faced by owner BlueCo’s previous hires.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
As Spanish speakers, some of whom speak little to no English, the mothers on the committee had faced challenges in communicating with teachers, administrators and city leaders about their children’s needs.—
Mariana Navarrete Villegas,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Families bundled up in hoodies and blankets to watch from the beach as surfers in several categories braved the cold water.—
Tony Le Calvez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
While the Guide Mobi braved the rain for a test delivery, the Swake tricycles can’t run in such conditions.—
TIm Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dared. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
