as in stimulus
something that arouses action or activity
Her expulsion from the university proved to be a catalyst for needed change.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catalyst
Meanwhile, others bring up that Saquon Barkley's historic season was a major catalyst in the Eagles capturing a title last year.
—
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
The controversy comes in the shadow of Israel’s war in Gaza, which people who signed the letter told CNN is the catalyst for a lot of Islamophobic rhetoric.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
Reuters reported that Walmart officials declined to comment on whether the super agents would be a catalyst for job loss in the future.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 July 2025
Charlie's sudden, grotesque exit becomes the catalyst for the rest of the film, dragging her family down a relentless tailspin of grief (and ancestral demons).
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
The controversy comes in the shadow of Israel’s war in Gaza, which people who signed the letter told CNN is the catalyst for a lot of Islamophobic rhetoric.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
Reuters reported that Walmart officials declined to comment on whether the super agents would be a catalyst for job loss in the future.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 July 2025
Charlie's sudden, grotesque exit becomes the catalyst for the rest of the film, dragging her family down a relentless tailspin of grief (and ancestral demons).
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst
Noun
-
To put it into perspective, the two 2020 and one 2021 stimulus checks issued to Americans from the stimulus package totaled around $931 billion in financial relief via the stimulus checks, according to reports from the Government Accountability Office in 2022.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
25 July 2025
-
The big story China’s economy requires more than short-term stimulus, even as deflationary pressures intensify.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Some things are too important to leave behind — like, for instance, the notion that stupidity can be a beautiful force for good, and not just an infinite fuel supply for evil.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
30 July 2025
-
The trucking industry faces numerous challenges, including rising fuel costs and regulatory changes, which Saini overcomes by remaining flexible and utilizing intelligent routing and mileage to mitigate these issues.—
Jennifer Pierce,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Microsoft launched Azure more than a decade ago, but the service has increasingly become intertwined with its AI ambitions, as the company looks to sell its AI chatbot and other tools to big business customers that are also reliant on its core online services.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
31 July 2025
-
At this point in history, ancient humans were also beginning to form stone tools that made searching for underground plants even easier.—
Andrew Paul Jul 31,
Popular Science,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
That’s why staying laser-focused on macro triggers and reacting quickly to breakouts remains critical.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
Immediately following the incident, Do takes a gun off of Captain Jo’s (Kim Won-hae) desk and aims it at the man who killed his family, intending to pull the trigger.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The three main causes of hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
21 July 2025
-
At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Replace people with mechanisms to drive labor costs down and profits up.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
In a 1998 essay for The New Yorker, the author Arthur Miller described urbanites’ Depression-era coping mechanisms: People caught the breeze on open-air trolleys, climbed onto the back of ice trucks, and flocked to the beach.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
This served as a mighty impetus to spur the Space Race.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
No company ever got into business to lose money, but with mergers like the impending one between Paramount and Skydance, a media company, which was the clear impetus for the settlement with Trump, the bottom line has never been more important.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
But if your goal is to build something that will matter, something that will be part of the cultural zeitgeist, shape narratives, and spark conversations.—
Kenneth J. Williams Jr,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
So, as Mercury retrograde sextiles Venus, sparks could fly unexpectedly.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share