1
as in awakens
to cause to stop sleeping
my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awakes
to cease to be asleep
I woke with a start when the door slammed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in warns
to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or risk
a public service announcement designed to wake people to the dangers of aggressive driving
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 wakes
The squalling of a blue jay wakes me.
—
Ralph Tuttle,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2026
These memories of his brief, sad human life are uneasy dreams that Lestat wakes from on his tour bus as the sun sets over the road to Toledo.
—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
So, when Harvard-Westlake travels, one of his teammates wakes him.
—
Liana Handler
follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Tran wakes to the sounds of his mother and aunt arguing.
—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
At Pashupatinath, Kathmandu's largest Hindu temple, a site of cremation, prayer, and daily life all happening at once, Sunita sometimes sits in the early morning, near the entrance to the inner courtyard, in the hour before the city fully wakes.
—
Vogue,
1 June 2026
The body essentially wakes itself up after fixing what needs fixing.
—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Melmo The stiffness of my jeans wakes me—almost icy in the predawn.
—
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Ready for a home robot that wakes you up, makes breakfast and even cleans the house afterward?
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Ralph Tuttle,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2026
These memories of his brief, sad human life are uneasy dreams that Lestat wakes from on his tour bus as the sun sets over the road to Toledo.
—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
So, when Harvard-Westlake travels, one of his teammates wakes him.
—
Liana Handler
follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Tran wakes to the sounds of his mother and aunt arguing.
—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
At Pashupatinath, Kathmandu's largest Hindu temple, a site of cremation, prayer, and daily life all happening at once, Sunita sometimes sits in the early morning, near the entrance to the inner courtyard, in the hour before the city fully wakes.
—
Vogue,
1 June 2026
The body essentially wakes itself up after fixing what needs fixing.
—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Melmo The stiffness of my jeans wakes me—almost icy in the predawn.
—
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Ready for a home robot that wakes you up, makes breakfast and even cleans the house afterward?
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakes
Verb
-
Badly wounded in a battle of revenge, Robin Hood is brought to a priory and tended by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), whose generosity awakens his finer feelings and spurs him to virtuous, self-sacrificing action.
-
Forgetting his bond with the land, Mariano awakens the Ch’iqmi, a dark force that corrupts his people.
Verb
-
Just at that moment, Jamie — our dream lover in every sense — awakes with a jolt.
-
The next morning, Park awakes hung over before disgustingly scoffing down a handful of salmon off a caterer's serving tray.
Verb
-
King laughs, and warns Carrol against comparing him to Jesus.
-
Vecellio warns that older adults and people who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk from heat should carefully consider whether to attend outdoor World Cup matches in the hottest locations this week.
Verb
-
The 2026 club just might be the team that rouses them.
-
Thankfully, there's something to that old adage about felines having nine lives because The Jellicle Ball rouses Cats from its grave.
Verb
-
At scale, sensors fail, alerts conflict and workflows break normal routines.
-
The main thermostat unit also contains an air quality sensor that measures volatile organic compounds and alerts you to many airborne hazards.
Cite this Entry
“Wakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakes. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
