catalyze
verb
cat·a·lyze
ˈka-tə-ˌlīz 
catalyzed; catalyzing
1
: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)
an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of the sugars
2
: bring about, inspire
his vigorous efforts to catalyze us into activity—
Harrison Brown
Harrison Brown3
: to alter significantly by or as if by catalysis
innovations in basic chemical theory that have catalyzed the field—Newsweek
Newsweek
catalyzer
noun
Examples of catalyze in a Sentence
a reinstitution of the draft would catalyze protests around the country
Recent Examples on the Web
That shift was catalyzed by regulatory tailwinds that prompted a boom in institutional interest around stablecoins, which account for 40% of all blockchain fees and more than half of which are powered by the Ethereum blockchain.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025
Those aspirations are catalyzed in projects like MAVEN, designed to measure radiation and solar storms in space at Mars — a critical element for human exploration — that is also at risk in the current NASA budget.
—Justin Schwartz, Denver Post, 29 July 2025
It was catalyzed by the rise of ChatGPT, which showed limitations to the search-first approach.
—Perry Carpenter, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
In the second half of the 20th century, after Interstate 40 ripped Jefferson Street in two and catalyzed the precipitous decline of the historic Black district, the Tennessee State University marching band began its ascent.
—Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
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Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025
Those aspirations are catalyzed in projects like MAVEN, designed to measure radiation and solar storms in space at Mars — a critical element for human exploration — that is also at risk in the current NASA budget.
—Justin Schwartz, Denver Post, 29 July 2025
It was catalyzed by the rise of ChatGPT, which showed limitations to the search-first approach.
—Perry Carpenter, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
In the second half of the 20th century, after Interstate 40 ripped Jefferson Street in two and catalyzed the precipitous decline of the historic Black district, the Tennessee State University marching band began its ascent.
—Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyze
Cite this Entry
“Catalyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catalyze. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catalyze
verb
cat·a·lyze
ˈkat-ᵊl-ˌīz
catalyzed; catalyzing
: to bring about or produce by chemical catalysis
Medical Definition
catalyze
transitive verb
cat·a·lyze
variants
or British catalyse
catalyzed or British catalysed; catalyzing or British catalysing
: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)
catalyzer
noun
or British catalyser
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