as in triggers
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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Recent Examples of activates
March is always madness, but this month intensifies matters as Mars activates your relationship zone (between March 2 and April 9), bringing complexities, buried desires and unspoken resentments to the surface.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Neuroscience has long shown that watching another person experience pain activates the same neural regions as experiencing pain ourselves.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
When a driver enters the wrong ramp, the system activates flashing lights and cameras.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Polk County activates the plan for extreme cold temperatures when conditions reach 10 degrees with wind chill for three or more days, 5 degrees with wind chill for two or more days or 0 degrees with wind chill for one or more days.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Studies have shown that generosity activates the brain’s reward system more than receiving and that people who help others tend to live longer.
—Meg Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Moving while reading, listening, or writing activates a unique mode of learning (a similar distinction can be found in handwriting versus typing).
—Bonnie Tsui, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
This week’s Capricorn New Moon on January 18th activates your rest, healing, and subconscious sector, signaling a powerful reset happening behind the scenes.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 18 Jan. 2026
Across the psychedelic research community, however, it is widely acknowledged people can have visions of entities, aliens, and mythical beings while tripping, especially on ayahuasca, a brew of a vine containing the powerful psychedelic DMT, along with a shrub that activates its effects.
—Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Neuroscience has long shown that watching another person experience pain activates the same neural regions as experiencing pain ourselves.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
When a driver enters the wrong ramp, the system activates flashing lights and cameras.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Polk County activates the plan for extreme cold temperatures when conditions reach 10 degrees with wind chill for three or more days, 5 degrees with wind chill for two or more days or 0 degrees with wind chill for one or more days.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Studies have shown that generosity activates the brain’s reward system more than receiving and that people who help others tend to live longer.
—Meg Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Moving while reading, listening, or writing activates a unique mode of learning (a similar distinction can be found in handwriting versus typing).
—Bonnie Tsui, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
This week’s Capricorn New Moon on January 18th activates your rest, healing, and subconscious sector, signaling a powerful reset happening behind the scenes.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 18 Jan. 2026
Across the psychedelic research community, however, it is widely acknowledged people can have visions of entities, aliens, and mythical beings while tripping, especially on ayahuasca, a brew of a vine containing the powerful psychedelic DMT, along with a shrub that activates its effects.
—Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activates
Verb
-
In the brain, the virus leads to an immune response that triggers inflammation, can damage brain cells, and can even shrink brain volume, according to research on imaging studies that was published in March 2022 in the journal Nature.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Turns out the combination of hot liquid, salt and easily digestible carbohydrates triggers multiple comfort responses in our bodies.—
Cheryl Russell,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Regular communication to senior leadership sets expectations and builds the case for continued investment; communication across the company generates future initiatives, builds grassroots support and sparks a healthy degree of FOMO.—
Jennifer Belissent,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Everything from adults-only zones on planes to child-free weddings sparks controversy online.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Modular software drives robots The platform emphasizes that software can evolve independently of hardware, enabling robots to learn new tasks and improve over time.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
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Patrick drives his dagger into Huw’s chest just as the cops show.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The authors never claimed to have demonstrated that such reading generates feelings of empathy, though others—including the New York Times—have sometimes confused those high scores as evidence of empathy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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For example, the 8K Milky Way stitching feature automatically generates mosaics far wider than a single frame.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Activates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activates. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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