activate

verb

ˈak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce activate (audio)
Definition of activatenext
as in to trigger
to cause to function the thermostat is set to activate the heating system only when the temperature drops below 65 degrees

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 activate Wandy Peralta was activated off the Bereavement List and pitched a scoreless ninth inning. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2026 Most can be set to activate on a timer, and some are even capable of self-emptying their collection bins and automatically recharging themselves. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 The malware can activate a camera, including during a fake identity check. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 Chase the dream as Jupiter activates Neptune and Pluto today. — Usa Today, USA Today, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
  1. trigger
  2. spark
  3. drive
  4. power
  5. generate
  6. move
Verb
  • But authorities said the crews needed to carefully map out a rescue plan since a reckless excavation could risk triggering a secondary collapse, especially with the boulders at the scene.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Long-term care facilities can be triggering environments, with intimate care often delivered by a changing stream of aides whom residents can't recognize.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of trigger
Verb
  • His goal sparked an offensive assault from Boise as Portland sank into a deep defensive mould, with five defenders and four midfielders sitting tight in their own box.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 18 July 2026
  • Jon Bernthal as Menelaus Menelaus is the king whose wife Helen sparked the Trojan War.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of spark
Verb
  • To prevent speculation that drives up land price without actual construction, the zoning benefits would be granted only on submission of building-permit applications.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Real estate has always been driven by connections between buyers and sellers.
    — Heartland MLS®, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Definition of drive
Verb
  • In May, Elon Musk reportedly spent at least $1 billion to buy an energy company with a fleet of combustion turbines, likely to power his AI model, Grok.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026
  • Chase Infiniti’s heat coming off One Battle After Another was enough to power her campaign more strongly than her show’s.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of power
Verb
  • The room shouldn’t have activities that can generate more particles from smoke, like cooking.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • That turned out to be wrong for a meaningful minority of them, whose brains were generating signals our methods were not sensitive enough to pick up.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
Definition of generate
Verb
  • Trump then took the microphone and moved the conversation onto Balogun’s red card.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Turkey moved fastest, deploying troops to its base and airlifting food within days, a role that also nudged Ankara's own reading of the Gulf.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of move

Browse Nearby Words

actions
activate
activated
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Cite this Entry

“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on activate

Nglish: Translation of activate for Spanish Speakers

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