in the wake of

phrase

1
: close behind and in the same path of travel
… missionaries arrived in the wake of conquistadors and soldiers …—Sabine MacCormack
2
: as a result of : as a consequence of
… power vacuums left in the wake of the Second World War.—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Examples of in the wake of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Infantino is seeking re-election next year as the head of soccer’s world governing body in the face of attempts to force him to stand down in the wake of the divisive plan. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Several Wall Street firms increased price targets on the stock in the wake of the results. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Quite the contrary—in the wake of the destruction of Gaza, polls show that Israel’s international approval ratings have hit new lows. — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026 Reasons included understaffing at the USDA, especially in the wake of the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts last year, and a backlog of other regulations that the White House budget office had prioritized. — Eli Hager, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in the wake of

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of in the wake of was circa 1547

Rhymes for in the wake of

See All Rhymes for in the wake of

Browse Nearby Words

in the vicinity of
in the wake of
in the way of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In the wake of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20wake%20of. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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