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
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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
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Recent Examples of dared
Women were very fashionable in Cairo and never dared go out in raggedy clothes.
—
Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Critics haven’t dared sit through this yet.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
The mold had been set and other Black and Hispanic leaders dared to do what had been previously thought impossible – getting elected as minorities by majorities of white people.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
There were hints of potential trouble — he was often said to be drunk on camera — but few dared to mess with their meal tickets, so to speak.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
A couple of decades’ worth of pressure later, the Supreme Court’s Heller decision affirmed a much broader right to gun ownership than the previous generation’s NRA would have dared thought achievable.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026
The start of the downfall of the Daniel arap Moi dictatorship belongs, among others, to a small group of courageous Kenyan lawyers who at great risk dared to challenge these government abuses in court.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
There's a lot of respect there for this person, who has dared to come in and shake up the Ton.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Dennis Bergkamp was dared to make a difference, to decide games in England rather than embellish them.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Critics haven’t dared sit through this yet.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
The mold had been set and other Black and Hispanic leaders dared to do what had been previously thought impossible – getting elected as minorities by majorities of white people.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
There were hints of potential trouble — he was often said to be drunk on camera — but few dared to mess with their meal tickets, so to speak.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
A couple of decades’ worth of pressure later, the Supreme Court’s Heller decision affirmed a much broader right to gun ownership than the previous generation’s NRA would have dared thought achievable.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026
The start of the downfall of the Daniel arap Moi dictatorship belongs, among others, to a small group of courageous Kenyan lawyers who at great risk dared to challenge these government abuses in court.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
There's a lot of respect there for this person, who has dared to come in and shake up the Ton.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Dennis Bergkamp was dared to make a difference, to decide games in England rather than embellish them.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dared
Verb
-
The planned 90,000-square-foot project would represent the most significant change to the White House grounds in decades and is advancing even as it is challenged in court and questioned on Capitol Hill.—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
He’s being challenged by Kenya Franklin, a media consultant on political campaigns.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Keith Gasco was part of a SWAT team that confronted a gunman in a Family Dollar store in Spencer on February 3.—
Mike Toole,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, his friend Martin has his own point of view and Loran himself is confronted by his lifelong search for solitude.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nanos also reportedly faced a criminal election interference investigation stemming from the matter.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The actor and sculptor, who played the Marv in the first two Home Alone movies, faced one misdemeanor charge of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution stemming from an incident in December.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
A couple of thousand fans braved the rain and turned up on the Old Trafford forecourt, as did the captains of the men’s and women’s teams, Bruno Fernandes and Maya Le Tissier, and the respective sides’ managers, Michael Carrick and Marc Skinner.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
On weekends for more than five years, volunteers at the East Plano Islamic Center have braved wind, cold and, recently, heckling protesters to pass out boxes of food to a long line of expectant cars.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dared. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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