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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of activate
Nick Griffin of the business improvement district DTLA Alliance said activating storefronts is a worthy goal as long as the city first makes the streets both safe and pleasant for pedestrians.
—
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The Corps has activated its emergency response plan and is working with the contractor who owns the barge, along with the National Response Center and the State of Kansas, to assess and contain the fuel tank.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
Once the laptop was delivered and plugged in, Nisos activated its web camera.
—Lisa Cavazuti, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
To have enough skaters on Saturday, Detroit called up John Leonard from Grand Rapids of the AHL and activated David Perron off injured reserves.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for activate
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The Corps has activated its emergency response plan and is working with the contractor who owns the barge, along with the National Response Center and the State of Kansas, to assess and contain the fuel tank.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
Once the laptop was delivered and plugged in, Nisos activated its web camera.
—Lisa Cavazuti, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
To have enough skaters on Saturday, Detroit called up John Leonard from Grand Rapids of the AHL and activated David Perron off injured reserves.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
-
Sparks or embers can drift into leaves or grass, triggering a fire that can rapidly propagate.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2026
-
War in Iran The US-Israeli conflict with Iran has triggered the biggest disruption to air travel across the Gulf region since the Covid-19 pandemic, with commercial airline operations thrown into turmoil by airspace closures.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
14 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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Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run home run and Eliezer Alfonzo drove in two with a double during a five-run third inning.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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Serafini then left the home on foot to meet with Scott, who had been waiting for him in the getaway car to drive back to Nevada.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Braden Smith’s 11 assists helped power Purdue to the Big Ten championship over Michigan and put him within one of the NCAA record held by Duke’s Bobby Hurley.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
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The largest data center in Illinois is scheduled for Yorkville and will require as much as 2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power 30% of all the households in our state.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 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 22 Mar. 2026.
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