ACTUATES Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

actuates

verb

present tense third-person singular of actuate

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

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

Microsoft slowly activates features like this in waves to avoid problems.

— Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026
Vagal tone stimulation activates the vagus nerve to slow heart rate and lower stress hormones.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

But Argano, who drives Engine 10, isn't quite ready to pack it in.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Also at play are generic and biosimilar products that have come onto the market, offering competition that drives down the prices of expensive brand-name and biologic drugs.

— Melissa Goldin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

Cutting inside opens the diagonal angle and this move immediately triggers the Arsenal players to intersect the line.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
In animals, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) inside the muscle supplies most of the mechanical energy, while an electrical impulse travels along a motor neuron and triggers a chain of events that causes skeletal muscle fibers to contract.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of triggers

Verb

Colorado moves way up to one spot ahead of Georgia Tech after blocking the final field goal for the road win over the Yellow Jackets.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Buoyed by her leadership of the multi-billion-dollar expansion project last decade, Espino moves up from deputy administrator to take full command of the canal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of moves

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.

Browse Nearby Words

actuated

actuates

actuating

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Actuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuates. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of actuates

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

hobnob

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes