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.
Sarah Connor has reshaped her entire persona (not just her physique) in the wake of what happened to her in the first film. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 The museum is also accommodating as many walk-ups as capacity allows — and these walk-ups have increased in the wake of Kusama’s death. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 The movement thereafter played a prominent role in protests across the United States and in other countries, particularly in the wake of the murders of Eric Garner in 2014 and George Floyd in 2020. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 In an appearance on Semafor’s Mixed Signals in the wake of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s win, Piker expressed dismay at being invoked in intra-Democratic debates. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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