How to Use catalyst in a Sentence

catalyst

noun
  • The bombing attack was the catalyst for war.
  • She was proud to be a catalyst for reform in the government.
  • Lane has been the main catalyst for the spiciness in the two games.
    Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 11 Feb. 2022
  • The mission of the franchise is to be a catalyst of love.
    Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Sep. 2021
  • The raid on Smith's shop was one of the catalysts for change.
    Andy Marso, kansascity, 6 June 2018
  • Kapler called Belt a catalyst and a key to the team’s record the past week.
    Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 July 2022
  • George Floyd’s death was the catalyst for a lot of things.
    cleveland, 15 Jan. 2021
  • The sodium in them also seems to act as a catalyst in the way that iron does.
    The Economist, 5 Oct. 2019
  • What was the catalyst for deciding that now was the time?
    Seija Rankin, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2021
  • As for the catalyst of the success, Mazara has an idea.
    Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 12 May 2021
  • The idea is to be a catalyst to help solve problems, not be the problem solver.
    Teri Figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, 25 Sep. 2017
  • Fleabag has a dead mom and a dead female best friend as two of its key catalysts.
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
  • Could my late arrival be the catalyst for some kind of meet-cute?
    Audra Heinrichs, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023
  • Some investors pointed to the stronger dollar as a catalyst for the fall.
    Anna Hirtenstein, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2021
  • Sometimes, the walls that can’t move are the catalyst for what ends up being the coolest part of the project.
    Kathy Anderson and Stephanie Vaughan, Houston Chronicle, 14 Dec. 2019
  • Volquez credits a strong start as the catalyst to his success.
    BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2021
  • What happened under the lights was more of a smack in the face than a dynasty’s catalyst.
    Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 12 Jan. 2020
  • These are all typical catalysts for clients to reach out to a health coach.
    Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 14 Jan. 2020
  • Working with them inspired me to be a catalyst for change.
    Marie Claire, 7 Mar. 2019
  • Both of Einhorn’s plays are in dire need of a catalyst.
    David Welch, Bloomberg.com, 8 May 2017
  • My goal, my intent, is just to be a catalyst for change.
    Tim Fitzsimons, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2019
  • But the truth is that Ryan is the true catalyst for every thing that has happened.
    Sarah Begley, Time, 31 Jan. 2018
  • No clear catalyst propelled stocks out of their rocky stretch.
    Michael Wursthorn and Avantika Chilkoti, WSJ, 25 June 2020
  • This year has been a catalyst for getting back to basics.
    Denada Ramnishta, Forbes, 5 May 2021
  • The catalyst for those protests was a similar ruling made by the same court four years ago.
    Helen Regan, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Let the work that still needs doing be a catalyst for hope, not despair.
    Edith Eger, refinery29.com, 15 Sep. 2020
  • And that was the real catalyst for, as a team, discussing all those things.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 June 2022
  • Books can be a catalyst for change, and well, so can bookstores.
    Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2021
  • But for many viewers, this movie has been the catalyst for some contention.
    Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 7 June 2022
  • Was meeting your wife, Julie, the catalyst that brought you out of it?
    Jim Clash, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catalyst.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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