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
Bitter taste receptors inside cancer cells have been found to be activated in the presence of anti-cancer drugs.
—
New Atlas, 8 Nov. 2025
Any of these games will activate your offer from BetMGM Sportsbook.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
In Ibadan, the biennial activates the New Culture Studio designed by Demas Nwoko (1970), exploring urban and architectural dimensions of confinement.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
New Atlas, 8 Nov. 2025
Any of these games will activate your offer from BetMGM Sportsbook.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
In Ibadan, the biennial activates the New Culture Studio designed by Demas Nwoko (1970), exploring urban and architectural dimensions of confinement.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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Mismanagement by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother who was elected in 2019, triggered mass protests.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
The raid triggered widespread condemnation from news organizations and press freedom advocates.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Brown was 20 at the time, and Bongiovi was 22, which sparked some online controversy.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The offer is available for dine-in and drive-thru only and is not valid through the McDonald’s app.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
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Timber, litter and understory vegetation are the main fuels driving the wildfire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Clean energy is driving a state of 40 million people, offering more affordable energy and creating reliable jobs that will power the future.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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In an interview with Fortune, Brockman described building AGI as an end-to-end engineering challenge, one that spans everything from how the models are designed to the chips, servers, and data centers that power the training and running of models.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For example, when a manager gives feedback to a team member, Cisco's learning platform will combine that feedback with other data points, such as the employee's skills profile, to generate personalized learning recommendations.—
Kelly Jones,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Mamdani’s plan to raise city income taxes by 2% on millionaires and shift property taxes toward the wealthiest, whitest, and most under-taxed neighborhoods could generate $4 billion a year to fund affordable housing.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Then, at the next vehicle entrance, the city is proposing a tunnel so bike traffic can move without interacting with cars.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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