1
a
: a small particle of a burning substance thrown out by a body in combustion or remaining when combustion is nearly completed
b
: a hot glowing particle struck from a larger mass
especially
: one heated by friction
2
a
: a luminous disruptive electrical discharge of very short duration between two conductors separated by a gas (such as air)
b
: the discharge in a spark plug
c
: the mechanism controlling the discharge in a spark plug
4
: something that sets off a sudden force
provided the spark that helped the team to rally
5
: a latent particle capable of growth or developing : germ
still retains a spark of decency
6
sparks plural in form but singular in construction
: a radio operator on a ship
sparked; sparking; sparks
1
a
: to throw out sparks
b
: to flash or fall like sparks
2
: to produce sparks
specifically
: to have the electric ignition working
3
: to respond with enthusiasm
Examples of spark in a Sentence
Noun (1)
not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs
Verb (1)
the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena
Recent Examples on the Web
Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
His style of play has endeared him to fans and helped give the team a spark.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Most notably, Glee sparked new interest in the original Rumours album, which reentered the Billboard 200 chart at number eleven, a spike in sales of almost 2,000 percent over the previous week (the same week, Nicks’s solo album In Your Dreams debuted at number six).
—Alan Light, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Microsoft’s Surface Table fizzled, and Arcade1Up’s Infinity Game Table — fun, nostalgic, but hardly a household name — proved that even good ideas can stall without the right spark.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
His style of play has endeared him to fans and helped give the team a spark.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Months before the citations were made, the Sheriff’s Office filed a lawsuit against Cal-OSHA, sparking a legal battle centered on relatively recent changes to state labor law, and the latter’s authority to investigate and penalize law enforcement agencies.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Most notably, Glee sparked new interest in the original Rumours album, which reentered the Billboard 200 chart at number eleven, a spike in sales of almost 2,000 percent over the previous week (the same week, Nicks’s solo album In Your Dreams debuted at number six).
—Alan Light, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Cite this Entry
“Spark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spark. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spark
1 of 3 noun1
a
: a small bit of a burning material
b
: a hot glowing bit struck from a mass
2
: a short bright flash of electricity between two points
4
: a small amount that could grow into something larger
still has a spark of decency
spark
2 of 3 verb1
: to give off or cause to give off sparks
2
: to cause to get going
the question sparked quite an argument
sparked the team to victory
Etymology
Noun
Old English spearca "spark"
Verb
from earlier spark (noun) "a foolish young man, boyfriend"
Biographical Definition
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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