1
as in activating
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 driving
to set or keep in motion
hearing depends on sound vibrations that actuate the complex mechanism of that sensory organ, the ear
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of actuating
Creating such complex structures combining soft and rigid features and actuating them with artificial muscles would further our understanding of natural kinematic structures.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2026
Dynamic soft robots To create OCTOID’s modular actuating legs, researchers fabricated active (AL) and passive layers (PL) from cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) using a bottom-up self-assembly of reactive mesogens, crosslinkers, and chain extenders.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2025
IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2026
Dynamic soft robots To create OCTOID’s modular actuating legs, researchers fabricated active (AL) and passive layers (PL) from cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) using a bottom-up self-assembly of reactive mesogens, crosslinkers, and chain extenders.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuating
Verb
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Its trillion-parameter system uses a Mixture-of-Experts approach, activating only a fraction of parameters per task.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
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This suggests that activating a stress response siphons energy away from long-term maintenance processes.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For Ioane, that comes in the form of driving a defensive lineman into the ground to clear a path for his quarterback or running back.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But the judge said that Hallford made credible claims of being a victim of domestic violence and that her ex-husband, Jon Hallford, was the driving force in their relationship.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Beijing has long struggled to drive domestic consumption, while brutal competition in many industries has pushed producers to cut prices, triggering a vicious cycle in which people hold off on purchases in anticipation of coming discounts.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Doctors say the fine particles from air pollution can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream, triggering inflammation and a variety of health problems, including lung and heart disease.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Step back, limit input, and process what’s coming up before moving forward with clearer boundaries.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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April 19 guest commentary The recent commentary on the Colorado Connector rail service was supportive of moving ahead.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Najib headed security forces in Daraa province in 2011, when teenagers were arrested and tortured for antigovernment graffiti, sparking mass protests that escalated into Syria’s devastating civil war.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The video circulated rapidly on social media, sparking fury as at least two White victims were pummeled into the ground by a group of Black suspects.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ethan Fennel sniped five goals, propelling Acton-Boxboro to the Players Cup championship game with an 11-8 boys lacrosse victory over Xaverian.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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At the time, Singularity was excellent not just at bringing me up to date but also at propelling me into future technologies.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Actuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuating. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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