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
Coker had his 21-day practice window activated last week, but the Panthers decided against activating him for the Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
—
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2025
There’s every chance Knoblauch eases the PK minutes for feature offensive players like McDavid and Draisaitl by using Janmark once he’s activated.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
This reagent, when activated by saltwater, effectively dissolves gold.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Etminan did not activate wifi to access the internet because doing so might attract unwanted attention from the authorities.
—Hugh Hart, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2025
There’s every chance Knoblauch eases the PK minutes for feature offensive players like McDavid and Draisaitl by using Janmark once he’s activated.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
This reagent, when activated by saltwater, effectively dissolves gold.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Etminan did not activate wifi to access the internet because doing so might attract unwanted attention from the authorities.
—Hugh Hart, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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The proteins casein and whey in dairy products may trigger an allergic reaction in certain people.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
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Homes were left without electricity, and the rains are triggering flooding and landslides along highways and roads.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Delaware’s 1913 gamble helped spark a century of American dynamism.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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The announcement of the ROG Xbox Allys and Xbox’s partnership with Asus also sparked some confusion over whether Xbox was out of the in-house-made console game.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The politically motivated preemption of the late-night program following host Jimmy Kimmel's brief remarks regarding the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk drove a massive wave of Disney+ subscription cancellations, a new report from the research firm Antenna shows, per The New York Times.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
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Fortune reports on air traffic controllers who are driving for Uber and DoorDash to make ends meet.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tech companies like Google, Amazon and OpenAI are pouring billions into nuclear start-ups like Kairos Power, X-Energy and Oklo to help power their data centers for artificial intelligence.—
Brad Plumer,
New York Times,
22 Oct. 2025
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But the explosion of generative AI, and its massive computing needs, has turned what were once modest server farms into sprawling mega-complexes that can take up many millions of square feet, draw enough electricity to power a medium-sized city, and consume millions of gallons of water.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Newcastle are level with Everton in big chances created and, as my colleague Chris Waugh explained, have struggled with generating quality opportunities.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The device can also generate audio alerts warning drivers if there's a dog on a customer's property.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Green’s 49-yard run scramble moved the Razorbacks to the Texas A&M 39 just before the 2-minute timeout of the fourth quarter.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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Calderhead focuses on the British tactic, enacted two days after the initial attack, of moving their fleet into Flushing Bay to anchor for the night.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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