activating 1 of 2

adjective

as in energizing

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activating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of activate
as in triggering
to cause to function the thermostat is set to activate the heating system only when the temperature drops below 65 degrees

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 activating
Adjective
After such an activating start to the year, you’re invited to rest, reflect, and reconnect with your spiritual side. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Royals considered activating Witt on Friday before their game at the Colorado Rockies. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026 In the Character Wheel, the eleven dimensions are integrated, each activating and restraining the others. — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Its latest exhibition, exploring the theme of touch, has traveled to Dongliang Maison, activating the store’s two villa houses. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 30 July 2026 Stewart grabs the ring activating it, before the car crashes in the canyon below. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026 Some people might be more prone to activating an immune component known as IgE, for example, which tends to stimulate other immune mechanisms involved in an allergic reaction. — Alice Park, Time, 23 July 2026 The second exercise is a double-leg glute bridge and hold, which focuses on activating those hamstrings and glutes — both essential muscles in supporting acceleration and top speed. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Those launches were successful, but ground teams ran into problems activating and commissioning satellites made by York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026 Investigators with the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal later reviewed Ring camera footage from inside the home, which showed the family’s dog, Bo, jumping onto the kitchen counter before inadvertently activating the toaster. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activating
  1. energizing
  2. triggering
  3. inducing
  4. sparking
  5. inspiring
  6. driving
  7. galvanizing
  8. motivational
Adjective
  • For example, lavender is said to have a calming effect, while citrus scents will seem more energizing and lively.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of energizing
Verb
  • Other team-period notes With the second team in the same period, running back Brashard Smith caught a quick pass from Justin Fields and juked a defender, triggering a collective gasp from the crowd.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • As the compressed sides bulge outward under load, the tower’s structural strength drops sharply, frequently triggering sudden buckling or catastrophic collapse.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Definition of triggering
Adjective
  • Work in context is both more productive and less burnout-inducing.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • In the fifth and final season of The Boys, creator-showrunner Eric Kripke and his writers’ room had their work cut out for them, with a complex cast of characters’ arcs to wrap up, from the heartbreaking to the adrenaline-inducing and absurdly hilarious.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Definition of inducing
Verb
  • The organization further noted that the showcase created meaningful engagement with the material while sparking conversations around co-production, financing, distribution and international collaboration.
    — E'Ian West, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Doing so could serve the purpose of sparking other suitors into action.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of sparking
Adjective
  • But now, just over two years later, the Red Sox have decided to move on following a difficult 2026 campaign for the inspiring journeyman.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Jupiter in Leo will form an inspiring trine to Neptune retrograde in Aries while also opposing Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, creating a push-and-pull between our visions for the future and the inevitable transformation at play.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of inspiring
Verb
  • Jones is accused of committing nine offenses against the man, including kissing him multiple times without consent and touching the man’s genitals while the man was driving.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Still, analysts warned that the coordinated action may prove no more durable than previous interventions unless Japan addresses the structural forces driving yen weakness.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of driving
Adjective
  • The riot was a galvanizing event and led to the creation of LGBTQ advocacy organizations like Gay Liberation Front and GLAAD.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The January 2023 shooting of the environmental activist, known as Tortuguita, became a galvanizing moment for protests against Atlanta’s police training center.
    — R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of galvanizing
Adjective
  • While his exhortation left off Brady’s signature profane intensifier, the motivational gambit remained explicit even in the absence of the familiar F-bomb.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
  • Accommodations, though vital for genuine disabilities, are sometimes misapplied to motivational or organizational problems.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of motivational

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activates
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Cite this Entry

“Activating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activating. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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