\ ˈrāz 
\
\raised; raising
Definition of raise
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to cause or help to rise to a standing position
b : to stir up : incite raise a rebellion
c : to flush (game) from cover
d : to recall from or as if from death
3a : to set upright by lifting or building
raise a monument
b : to lift up
raise your hand raise sunken treasure
c : to place higher in rank or dignity : elevate
d : heighten, invigorate raise the spirits
e : to end or suspend the operation or validity of
raise a siege
4 : to get together for a purpose : collect raise funds
6a : to give rise to : provoke raise a commotion
b : to give voice to
raise a cheer
7 : to bring up for consideration or debate
raise an issue
8a : to increase the strength, intensity, or pitch of
don't raise your voice
b : to increase the degree of
c : to cause to rise in level or amount
raise the rent
d(1) : to increase the amount of (a poker bet)
(2) : to bet more than (a previous bettor)
e(1) : to make a higher bridge bid in (a partner's suit)
(2) : to increase the bid of (one's partner)
9 : to make light and porous
raise dough
10 : to cause to ascend
raise the dust
11 : to multiply (a quantity) by itself a specified number of times
raise two to the fourth power
12 : to bring in sight on the horizon by approaching
raise land
13a : to bring up the nap of (cloth)
b : to cause (something, such as a blister) to form on the skin
14 : to increase the nominal value of fraudulently
raise a check
15 : to articulate (a sound) with the tongue in a higher position
16 : to establish radio communication with
raise Cain or raise hell raise eyebrows raise the bar
1 : to act wildly : create a disturbance
2 : to scold or upbraid someone especially loudly
raised hell with the umpire
: to cause surprise or mild disapproval
: to set a higher standard
new software that raises the bar for competitors
raise
nounDefinition of raise (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : an act of raising or lifting
2 : a rising stretch of road : an upward grade : rise
3 : an increase in amount: such as
a : an increase of a bet or bid
b : an increase in wages or salary
4 : a vertical or inclined opening or passageway connecting one mine working area with another at a higher level
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Synonyms & Antonyms for raise
Synonyms: Verb
- boost,
- crane,
- elevate,
- heave,
- heft,
- heighten,
- hike,
- hoist,
- jack (up),
- lift,
- perk (up),
- pick up,
- take up,
- up,
- uphold,
- uplift,
- upraise
Synonyms: Noun
- accretion,
- accrual,
- addendum,
- addition,
- augmentation,
- boost,
- expansion,
- gain,
- increase,
- increment,
- more,
- plus,
- proliferation,
- rise,
- step-up,
- supplement,
- uptick
Antonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Noun
- abatement,
- decline,
- decrease,
- decrement,
- depletion,
- diminishment,
- diminution,
- drop-off,
- fall,
- falloff,
- lessening,
- loss,
- lowering,
- reduction,
- shrinkage,
- step-down
Examples of raise in a Sentence
Verb Raise your hand if you know the answer. Raise your arms above your head.
He raised his head and looked around.
She raised her eyes from her book and stared at him.
He raised the cup to his lips and drank.
I raised the lid and peeked inside.
Let's raise the windows and get some fresh air in here.
We raised the flag to the top of the pole.
I carefully raised her to a sitting position.
She raised herself onto her knees. Noun
the school board approved a raise in the maximum family income for students qualifying for reduced-price lunches
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Ma also used the speech to raise concerns with China's economic policies and system of banking.
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Tyler Van Dyke, Washington Examiner, "Chinese billionaire Jack Ma suspected missing after not being seen for two months," 4 Jan. 2021 Some reports raise safety concerns beyond the risk of coronavirus infection.
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Michael Laris, Anchorage Daily News, "Sneezed on, cussed at, ignored: Airline workers battle mask resistance with scant government backup," 2 Jan. 2021 Christie’s been helping raise money for the two GOP incumbents in his role as an honorary co-chair of the Georgia Battleground Fund, which was set up by Republican Party leaders.
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Paul Steinhauser, Fox News, "Christie says 2016 White House run flameout wouldn't handicap him in 2024," 1 Jan. 2021 BlackRock, which had an initial year-and-a-half window to raise money for the fund, missed internal fundraising deadlines and asked investors for a few more months to seek money, according to some of the people familiar with the matter.
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Dawn Lim, WSJ, "BlackRock Scales Back Private-Equity Fund Ambitions," 1 Jan. 2021 Government employees, just like anyone else, have a First Amendment right to raise concerns of public interest. . . .
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Washington Post, "D.C. contact tracer says she was fired for a tweet that raised questions about overtime pay," 22 Dec. 2020 And the rain is not expected to be heavy enough to raise concerns about flooding.
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Leigh Morgan, al, "More rain on the way to Alabama tonight," 15 Dec. 2020 After bringing the idea to the school district, the city faced resistance from Myrick, who said guns aren’t a major problem in the district and this could raise student privacy concerns if they were being searched without suspicion.
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Scott Travis, sun-sentinel.com, "Gun-sniffing dog approved for some Broward schools," 15 Dec. 2020 My findings raise serious concerns about the transparency of Coyle’s argument.
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Elizabeth Sharrow, Star Tribune, "Pitting men's and women's sports against each other at the U is wrong," 8 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Social media posts that circulated in March also claimed that the CARES Act gave Congress members a massive pay raise, which was debunked by USA TODAY.
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Mckenzie Sadeghi, USA TODAY, "Fact check: Coronavirus relief package does not include congressional pay raise," 25 Dec. 2020 The raise, which was announced in October, is set to take effect in the first quarter of 2021.
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Nina Trentmann, WSJ, "Yogurt Maker Chobani Recruits New CFO as It Continues to Expand," 23 Dec. 2020 The omnibus bill gives NIH a $1.25 billion raise, to $42.9 billion.
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Science News Staff, Science | AAAS, "Massive 2021 U.S. spending bill leaves research advocates hoping for more," 22 Dec. 2020 Mullen also awarded Johnson a $100,000 pay raise Feb. 1, bumping his compensation to $540,000 annually.
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Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Gators’ OC Brian Johnson destined to one day become a head coach," 10 Dec. 2020 The New York Post reports that Cuomo will still receive his raise via a joint resolution approved by the Senate and Assembly in 2019.
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Andrew Mark Miller, Washington Examiner, "Andrew Cuomo to receive $25K raise despite budget shortfall and controversial handling of coronavirus," 18 Nov. 2020 We are promised happiness with the next pay raise, the next new gadget—even the next sip of soda.
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Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, "American Life Has Gotten More Comfortable, But Less Happy," 22 Oct. 2020 Eyeglasses startup Warby Parker raised $245 million of venture capital in a deal that values the company at about $3 billion, almost double the value at its last raise two years ago.
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Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "President Trump’s one-man rules for TikTok," 28 Aug. 2020 The commission subsequently voted against giving Vazquez a raise.
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Washington Post, "Live updates: White House ponders denying entry to U.S. citizens suspected of carrying coronavirus," 11 Aug. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'raise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for raise
raise
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of raise
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to lift or move (something or someone) to a higher position
: to lift or move (something or someone) to a standing or more upright position
: to increase the amount or level of (something)
raise
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of raise (Entry 2 of 2)
US : an increase in the amount of your pay
See the full definition for raise in the English Language Learners Dictionary
raise
verb\ ˈrāz \
\raised; raising
Kids Definition of raise
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to cause to rise : lift Please raise your hand.
2 : collect sense 1 The school is trying to raise money.
3 : to look after the growth and development of : grow The farmer raised hogs.
4 : to bring up a child : rear He was raised by his grandmother.
5 : to bring to notice
No one raised any objection.
6 : increase entry 1 They're raising the rent.
7 : to make louder
Don't raise your voice.
8 : to give life to : arouse The children made enough noise to raise the dead.
9 : to set upright by lifting or building
A monument was raised.
10 : promote sense 1, elevate She was raised to captain.
11 : to give rise to : provoke The joke raised a laugh.
12 : to make light and airy
Yeast can raise dough.
13 : to cause to form on the skin
The burn raised a blister.
raise
nounKids Definition of raise (Entry 2 of 2)
: an increase in amount (as of pay)
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Time Traveler for raise
The first known use of raise was in the 13th century
See more words from the same century