as in awakening
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1
as in awaking
to cause to stop sleeping
my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wakening
to cease to be asleep
I woke with a start when the door slammed
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3
as in alerting
to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or risk
a public service announcement designed to wake people to the dangers of aggressive driving
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waking
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2020
Since becoming director of Dallas Animal Services in October 2017, Ed Jamison has spent every waking moment trying to get potential adopters and fosters into the shelter.
—Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2020
Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Slumbering through a global spectacle like the Oscars inevitably means waking to a deluge of news reports, videos, and pictures from the ceremony and its fringes.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waking
Adjective
When nightmare scenarios move to the waking world, stark fictions and knotty personal histories offer guidance less in the factual specifics than in their emotional terrain.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2020
Since becoming director of Dallas Animal Services in October 2017, Ed Jamison has spent every waking moment trying to get potential adopters and fosters into the shelter.
—Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2020
Verb
Eloise is waking, lifting her cheek from Daithí’s shoulder.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Slumbering through a global spectacle like the Oscars inevitably means waking to a deluge of news reports, videos, and pictures from the ceremony and its fringes.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waking
Verb
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In Hocus Pocus, Dani, her older brother Max (Omri Katz) and his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) have to save the children of Salem, Massachusetts after accidentally awaking the witch Sanderson sisters from their 300-year slumber.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
25 Oct. 2025
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Tirso Ornelas’ seventh-inning grand slam triggered a late-game awaking as Triple-A El Paso beat host Sugar Land 13-2 on Wednesday.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As temperatures climb and trees bud with the arrival of spring, a native frog species is awakening after months being frozen and nearly dead.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
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The solemn Moon is stepping into Capricorn, awakening your 12th House of Solitude and Healing.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Internal Revenue Service is alerting taxpayers once again that crooks have no trouble impersonating the IRS by email and text and direct messages.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Property owners are alerting occupants of 3,500 co-ops, condos and apartment buildings across the five boroughs that services will decrease if a work suspension begins on April 21.—
Michelle Kaske,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Netflix is home to numerous spy movies of this sort, with notable originals like 2022's The Gray Man alongside rousing period pieces like Operation Mincemeat (2022) and Official Secrets (2019) telling real-life stories of international intrigue.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
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Both of the Trotters grew up singing in the church and are steeped in the gospel music traditions that underpin their rousing blend of vintage country, soul, rock and funk.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pinecrest police ends the Facebook post warning other neighbors in the area to stay vigilant, and for potential lawbreakers to stay far away.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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By this point, experts were warning that half a million people in Gaza were at risk of starvation, and organizations such as the Rabbinical Assembly, an association of Conservative rabbis, were urging immediate action to alleviate civilian suffering.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Adding oils or a warm soak can increase sensitivity and make the experience both soothing and arousing.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Sep. 2025
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Squeezing lube out of a bottle until the cold goop squirts out isn't the most arousing act.—
Brenda Stolyar,
WIRED,
4 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Musk recently embraced the phrase with a meme of eyes reddened from the intoxicating exhaustion of situation monitoring—a recreation more stimulating, the joke goes, than any chemical substance.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
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Chuck Reger, franchise business coach at Five Star Painting, says bright red is highly stimulating and naturally increases alertness.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waking. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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