1
as in to sparkle
to give off sparks
the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in
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2
as in to trigger
to cause to function
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glimmer
a very small amount
not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spark
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The initial decision to sideline Dixon sparked an uproar on UNC’s campus, with members of the university’s community rallying in support – and against – the professor on Wednesday.
—Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
This spark can drive chemical reactions in the surrounding air that result in simple organic molecules.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Verb
But not all dogs instantly take to their toys, leaving many owners wondering how to spark that same enthusiasm.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The initial decision to sideline Dixon sparked an uproar on UNC’s campus, with members of the university’s community rallying in support – and against – the professor on Wednesday.
—Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
This conversation game includes 330 questions to spark stories, memories, and better ways to learn about other players.
—L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
This spark can drive chemical reactions in the surrounding air that result in simple organic molecules.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spark
Verb
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The Eiffel Tower sparkled in their background as day turned into night.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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Your accessories don’t have to be sparkling, brand-new from the newest home decor store.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Last month, a Ward 2 resident initiated the process of gathering signatures to trigger a recall election of Richardson.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
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This has triggered debate among people with historic association to United.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The combined vaccine has been extensively studied and consistently shown to provoke an immune response comparable to what’s seen when the individual vaccines are given separately, and without raising the risk of serious side effects.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
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Things that are shocking and terrible provoke our curiosity; if nothing ever went wrong, there would be no newspapers.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yet, on arguably the country’s biggest sporting day, the then-19-year-old showed no glimmer of nerves.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Red-hot cattle futures cooled off a bit last month, offering a glimmer of hope for Texas Roadhouse .—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The mountains glowed with golden light, evoking a sense of enchantment and possibility.—
Lisa Greissinger,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
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Los Milics was the subject of a glowing profile in the September 2025 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, Mercury and Mars are activating your sector of expansion, meaning your inner philosopher is loud.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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There was no official announcement from Washington that the California National Guard was being called up and sent to Oregon, just as was the case when Illinois’ governor made a similar announcement Saturday about troops in his state being activated.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Attendees left the event with tourniquets or trauma bandages and were encouraged to reach out to Bound Tree Medical to purchase additional supplies for their congregations.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Deadheading encourages chocolate cosmos plants to produce more flower buds, keeping plants productive.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All but the Red Wings changed coaches, with the Rangers making the biggest splash by hiring Mike Sullivan, a two-time Cup coach with the Penguins and bench boss for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The moss brings a splash of color that maintains a sophisticated and minimalist quality, while keeping a space from becoming whitewashed.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spark. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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