1
: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects
2
: the time when the upper limb of the sun appears above the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth
Synonyms
Examples of sunrise in a Sentence
We were up before sunrise.
We worked from sunrise to sunset.
We watched the sunrise from the beach.
the pink light of sunrise
Recent Examples on the Web
Ricky’s ultimate date would be making breakfast together and watching the sunrise at the beach.
—
Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
The scene begins on the beach as the final five greet the new day, complete with a gorgeous sunrise.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 May 2024
Flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday, May 15, per Evers' Executive Order #223.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
The flag should be raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset daily, but may be displayed in the evening if illuminated by light.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for sunrise 
Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
The scene begins on the beach as the final five greet the new day, complete with a gorgeous sunrise.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 May 2024
Flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday, May 15, per Evers' Executive Order #223.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
The flag should be raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset daily, but may be displayed in the evening if illuminated by light.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for sunrise
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sunrise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sunrise
Cite this Entry
“Sunrise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunrise. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sunrise
noun
sun·rise
ˈsən-ˌrīz 
1
: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects (as color)
2
: the time at which the sun rises
Geographical Definition
Sunrise
geographical name
Sun·rise
ˈsən-ˌrīz
city in southeastern Florida west of Fort Lauderdale population 84,439
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