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as in to awake
to cease to be asleep
she usually wakens when sunlight begins to stream through the windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waken
However, my condo association includes several dozen inland three-story condominium buildings, which means that the chance that our residents will be wakened by their building collapsing around them is near zero.
—
Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
More than that, there is obvious attraction — Mags has a bisexual side that suddenly wakens from long slumber.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones.
—Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 19 May 2020
The startling display of acrobatics came, according to police, on Oct. 19, after homeowners in the 700 block of Pershing Drive in Silver Spring were wakened about 2:15 a.m. by the sound of a door.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2019
Before the Sword, by Grace Lin Mulan crept into her house, even though the Rabbit had told her the villagers would not waken even with the loudest of noises.
—David Canfield, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2019
Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017
The dogs were asleep in their kennels at the time and wakened only when the would-be thief was discovered by the staff.
—Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016
Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
More than that, there is obvious attraction — Mags has a bisexual side that suddenly wakens from long slumber.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones.
—Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 19 May 2020
The startling display of acrobatics came, according to police, on Oct. 19, after homeowners in the 700 block of Pershing Drive in Silver Spring were wakened about 2:15 a.m. by the sound of a door.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2019
Before the Sword, by Grace Lin Mulan crept into her house, even though the Rabbit had told her the villagers would not waken even with the loudest of noises.
—David Canfield, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2019
Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017
The dogs were asleep in their kennels at the time and wakened only when the would-be thief was discovered by the staff.
—Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waken
Verb
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Many people who are more active at night, stay up and wake later are subject to circadian misalignment, meaning their internal clocks aren’t necessarily compatible with real-world demands like waking up early for work.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
9 Feb. 2026
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Republicans say 'woke' is to blame.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ashur awakes in this alternative timeline, but not all is blissful.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2026
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Billions of the alewives, a small silvery invasive fish, died that summer and awoke citizens to the fact that something was wrong with the region’s greatest natural resource.—
Theodore J. Karamanski,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Venus’ clash with Uranus awakens your kinky side!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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But our power is about awakening something beyond fear and cynicism in the human nervous system.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the days after October 7, Tel Aviv jazz musician Y (Ariel Bronz) and his dancer wife Yasmine (Efrat Dor) decide to say yes to everything — including a commission to write a rousing new national anthem.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2026
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As even the most casual football fan knows, the Budweiser Clydesdales have starred in many Super Bowl classics, from a somber 9/11 tribute to a rousing horse football game.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waken. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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