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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of activate
Sousa, returning from an oblique injury, will pitch on back-to-back days as the final step of his rehab assignment before Houston activates him.
—
Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Such responses are activated when animals are confronted with imminent danger.
—Helen Dennis, Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Cameras won't be activated during holidays.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for activate
Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Such responses are activated when animals are confronted with imminent danger.
—Helen Dennis, Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Cameras won't be activated during holidays.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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The union said Stepan Shevchuk was the man killed when a failure of a precast concrete segment triggered a progressive collapse.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Dust mites, dead skin cells, sweat buildup and allergens accumulate over months, affecting your sleep quality and potentially triggering sneezing and congestion.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While their on-screen chemistry has sparked speculation about their off-screen relationship, both actors have repeatedly shut down rumors.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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The reports have sparked a federal investigation following concerns about whether the cases are connected.—
Toni Odejimi,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most observers would say that this version of Bentancur was not quite as effective as the one seen under Antonio Conte, more able to cover ground in the middle and drive Tottenham forward.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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Once officers arrived, people at the scene said that someone had driven a teenage boy who had been shot from the scene.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of Marvell Technology gained nearly 6% on Monday amid reports that Google will use the chip design firm for two new chips to power artificial intelligence workloads.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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On a recent weekday morning, dozens of state officials and energy industry representatives gathered at Tejon Ranch, just across the road from Edmonston, to celebrate a sparkling new solar plant that will help power the pumps.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While in the region, Curiosity recently utilized its onboard Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite, built to search for compounds of the element carbon that are associated with life and investigate ways in which these compounds are generated and destroyed in the Martian ecosphere.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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This article was generated by the CA Earthquake Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The draft pick was top-10 protected in 2026, and with the Panthers owning the eighth-worst record in the NHL this season, the worst that pick can be after the draft lottery is 10th, as a maximum of two teams can potentially move up past the Panthers in that lottery.—
Steve Svekis,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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Homeowner Maha Amin moved three dozen sandbags from the trunk of her car to her driveway Thursday, bracing for more flooding in Des Plaines.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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