AROUSES Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

arouses

verb

present tense third-person singular of arouse

as in wakes

to cause to stop sleeping the rooster's crow aroused me from my deep sleep

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as in awakes

to cease to be asleep set the alarm so we would arouse at 5:00 a.m.

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as in provokes

to rouse to strong feeling or action the court's controversial decision aroused many to protest and to lobby the legislature for a constitutional amendment

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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 arouses More than three devices is considered a cluster that arouses interest. — Carolyn Forché, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 That intense scarcity arouses a FOMO among very wealthy car lovers that allows Ferrari to charge prices like $250,000 for one of its entry-level cars, and $3 million for a hypercar like its F80. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025 For various reasons—his kids are off from school during the robbery; his getaway driver drops out; his hotheaded gunman arouses suspicion—his haphazard caper doesn’t lead to riches. — Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025 This arouses the ire of the town’s belligerent sheriff (Colin Hanks, playing against type) and crooked theme park owner (John Ortiz) who decide to get revenge on the apparent family man causing them trouble. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025 The moon’s clash with Chiron arouses your pessimistic side. — Usa Today, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for arouses

Verb

A couple in crisis wakes to find their apartment sealed off by a mysterious, unbreakable substance.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Every morning, Chef wakes Tony with a bucket of cold seawater.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of wakes

Verb

While preparing for a trip, he is rendered unconscious using knockout gas and awakes to find himself inside a perfect recreation of his own home, but this one is located in a mysterious settlement known as The Village.

— William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
Just at that moment, Jamie — our dream lover in every sense — awakes with a jolt.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of awakes

Verb

The rooms were part of Kusama’s ongoing exploration of self-obliteration and her career-long ambition to create work that provokes a keen awareness of both one’s individual insignificance and place in the wider cosmic system.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Now, new research reveals this kind of high-intensity training provokes a remarkably robust response throughout the bloodstream.

— Will Stone, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of provokes

Verb

The story follows insurance investigator Lu Xian, who awakens a mysterious precognitive power and discovers he is descended from an ancient legendary guardian.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
The 12-year-old student council member spoke about how the shofar, the ram’s horn blown during High Holy Days, awakens Jews to reflect on and reaffirm their beliefs.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of awakens

Verb

Stronger trade winds help to move warm surface water away from the South American coast, which stimulates upwelling—that is, the movement of cold, dense, and nutrient-rich deep ocean water toward the surface.

— John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026
That extra load stimulates bones to grow denser and challenges muscles to adapt.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of stimulates

Verb

But after two decades in the rearview, Pluto’s demotion still stirs anger and controversy, and many people regard its change in status as a very bad thing.

— Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
That’s just one example of how Healy has become the straw that stirs the drink for the Huskies.

— Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of stirs

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“Arouses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arouses. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of arouses

verb

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