1
as in activates
to cause to function
a light actuated by a motion detector the alarm system actuates the door locks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drives
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuates
Verb
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Research shows eye contact is key to satisfying social interactions and activates social parts of the brain.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025 -
Many remotes include a push-to-talk button that activates voice control only when pressed.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Surprisingly given her background, Sennott doesn’t cast herself as the online ingénue whose ascendant career drives the story.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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Nasser drives a Tesla, which began rolling out its Grok AI conversational assistant feature in July 2025.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nitrogen triggers new growth that will be killed when freezing temperatures hit.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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Trading below $1 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period triggers a warning.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The four-meter-wide telescope can detect faint shifts in light that reveal how plasma moves through the corona, allowing scientists to see the sun in unprecedented detail.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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As such, this is a program that will be very interesting to see develop over the coming years and one that the Russian Navy's key adversaries will be watching very closely, as this weapon moves toward operational capability.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Content creators now use it for just about anything and its appearance often sparks raucous reactions, like in September when a crowd erupted in cheers after an In-N-Out employee called out order number 67.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Oct. 2025
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That small question sparks an incredible journey filled with mystery, time travel, battles, and ancient beings known as Watchers.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Actuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuates. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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