Definition of ACTUATE

Choose the Right Synonym for actuate

move, actuate, drive, impel mean to set or keep in motion. move is very general and implies no more than the fact of changing position. moved the furniture actuate stresses transmission of power so as to work or set in motion. turbines actuated by waterpower drive implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus. a ship driven aground by hurricane winds impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus. a candidate impelled by ambition

Examples of actuate in a Sentence

The pump is actuated by the windmill. a light actuated by a motion detector

Recent Examples on the Web Thompson said that the safety mechanism is similar to the tang safety of a shotgun and includes a mechanical block actuated by a transverse cam mounted on the side of the assembly. — Outdoor Life, "Hunting with the Lupo, Benelli’s New Bolt-Action Rifle," 21 Jan. 2020 When the joystick of the left hand control is actuated, a waterfall roar arises from the spinning of the left tread. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Tank That's Tougher Than Wildfire," 13 Nov. 2018 Weightlifting performance of individual and bundled fiber muscles actuated via a heat gun. — Sid Perkins, Scientific American, "A New Twist on Artificial Muscles," 11 July 2019 Before robots like this can explore the real world, researchers will have to figure out how to power and actuate them some other way, with hydraulic systems perhaps. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "This Jellyfish Robot Is Much More Than Just a Good Swimmer," 2 July 2019 Well after Horch the man departed, the automaker was cranking out dual-overhead-cam straight-eights, servo-actuated brakes, four-wheel independent suspension, transverse leaf springs, and five-speed gearboxes. — Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, "The Audi A8 May Go Electric and Ultra-Luxurious with a New High-End Model," 25 May 2019 The original version incorrectly stated that all three rear fins are actuated. — Mike Wall, Space.com, "SpaceX Will Fly a Japanese Billionaire (and Artists, Too!) Around the Moon in 2023," 17 Sep. 2018 The other two axes are the toe brakes, which are actuated by moving the bottom-pivoting stirrups forward (much like pressing a car’s accelerator or brake pedals). — Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, "Thrustmaster TPR: The best flight sim pedals you can buy in a store like a normal person," 23 Sep. 2018 Butterfly doors are unlocked and actuated by a fingerprint sensor and a biometric facial-recognition system hidden on the B-pillar. — Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, "Genesis Essentia Concept: High-Tech Coupe Dreams," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'actuate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.