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
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Recent Examples of activate
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
—
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
Green on Sunday recommended that those wanting to support impacted households donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has activated its Stronger Hawaii Fund to deploy resources across all affected islands.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Locations activated more wall outlets and began giving ceramic cups to customers who wanted to sit in the store for a while.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Motorcycles can slow down by downshifting, which doesn’t activate brake lights.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for activate
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
Green on Sunday recommended that those wanting to support impacted households donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has activated its Stronger Hawaii Fund to deploy resources across all affected islands.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Locations activated more wall outlets and began giving ceramic cups to customers who wanted to sit in the store for a while.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Motorcycles can slow down by downshifting, which doesn’t activate brake lights.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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In fact, Jalloh was detained in February 2023, the arrest that triggered the 2023 detainer, for stabbing an elderly man and stealing his phone.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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The protests that broke out across the country at the end of December were triggered by the collapse of the rial and exorbitant inflation in food prices.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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First introduced in 2013, the original collection of over 40,000 bulbs that lit up the structure sparked attention like never before.—
Brad Hamilton,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His dream of a free Havana became a driving force.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death.—
KRUTIKA PATHI,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So that’s enough to power about 285,000 homes annually.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
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This flexibility enables broader applications, as the same foundational system can power different robotic platforms while maintaining consistent motion control and responsiveness.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kim’s campaign has said her investments as treasurer earned more than $6 million in revenue generated from interest in fiscal years 2023 through 2024, money that was reinvested into the county’s schools, parks and libraries.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The show aired in Japan in 2021 and generated close to 14 million VOD views in its first 10 weeks on demand.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the calendar moves toward spring, the old feeling of hope and exuberance spreads across the country, and it's mostly felt by college basketball fans.—
Josh Taylor,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Coleman can play all the positions, so expect Steve Sarkisian to move him around to create advantageous matchups.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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