actuated

verb

past tense of actuate
1
as in activated
to cause to function a light actuated by a motion detector the alarm system actuates the door locks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in moved
to set or keep in motion hearing depends on sound vibrations that actuate the complex mechanism of that sensory organ, the ear

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 actuated Review website RTINGs tested 14 keyboards with adjustable actuation from 11 brands and found that, on each keyboard, the keys actuated at a different distance than the one set in the companion app. — ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of laymen, actuated solely by idle curiosity, received little more than a crick in the neck for their pains. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Each of the twenty-four flutes was actuated with a pair of wooden lips capable of the subtle modulation achieved with a human mouth. — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 But every function is going to be electronically actuated, every display is simulated on a screen … just like every Honda and Hyundai. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 3 June 2026 Each is separately spring-loaded, depressing four millimeters at most (though they can be actuated with as little as two millimeters of travel) before bouncing back with a confirming click. — Literary Hub, 19 May 2026 The two chambers of the soft, pneumatic finger are actuated manually, using two large syringes filled with air. — IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuated
  1. activated
  2. moved
  3. triggered
  4. drove
  5. sparked
  6. propelled
  7. impelled
Verb
  • Federal immigration officials need to ensure that body cameras worn by officers are uniformly activated when needed, a government report released Wednesday said, following a series of contentious shootings and aggressive arrests by ICE officers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The carrier is expected to hold NATO command ship responsibilities until mid-2027, positioning it to lead a multinational naval force if activated during an international crisis.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of activated
Verb
  • The new walkers moved even more slowly to emphasize their enormous weight.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The alleged rivalry between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle was seemingly dying down—but then Meghan and Prince Harry moved back to the UK.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • The attack has caused huge disruption to air travel and triggered a wave of cancellations for events taking place in the Saudi capital this week, with the World Petroleum Congress this week most directly impacted.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The crisis was triggered when about 80,000 people poured into the Spanish exclave in late July from neighboring Morocco, driven by rumors online that Spain had opened its border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggered
Verb
  • The individual who inflicted the fatal injury drove the spear downward through the victim’s left chest cavity from the front, piercing major arteries and the lungs before creating the hole in the left scapula.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Ohtani drove the Struggle Bus into Game 3, having struck out seven times in 20 playoff at-bats, with only three singles and no extra-base hits and no RBIs.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of drove
Verb
  • Snowden’s leaks in 2013 revealed NSA programs that sparked a global debate about government surveillance.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The rise in such killings has sparked protests and calls for government action as many of the killings remain unsolved while others go unreported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparked
Verb
  • Six years later, the Cougars upset top-ranked and reigning national champion Miami 28-21 in a game that propelled Ty Detmer to the Heisman Trophy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Her album spent 11 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and, for the first time, propelled the artist to Number One on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
    — Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of propelled
Verb
  • Some fifteen years later, her determination to study Schubert lieder with expert teachers was in large part what impelled her to go to Europe.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Despite the challenges, many candidates are impelled by the desire to steer political discourse toward civility and issues that matter most to ordinary citizens.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of impelled

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actuated
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Cite this Entry

“Actuated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuated. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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