On the whole, the present study disclosed that SOX4‐induced LINC00511 activated SOX4 via competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) pattern and epigenetically repressed PTEN to activate PI3K/AKT pathway by recruiting EZH2, thus facilitating GC cell proliferation, migration and stemness while inhibiting GC cell apoptosis. The gene discussed is SOX4; the disease is gastric cancer.