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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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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Caroline Lewis, who is activating students to advocate for policy change, and the Miami Herald’s own chief climate reporter and editor, Alex Harris.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
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Kept alive numerous times by the activating Jonathan Aspirot and Jordan Harris, the puck eventually came around to Kastelic low on the left side and Kastelic got his 10th of the year by beating Greaves on a bad-angle short-side shot.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, government data shows that car insurance prices have soared 55% compared with six years ago, or just before the pandemic, driving up the number of Americans going without.—
Alexa St. John,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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Smith went 2 for 2 with a walk and double at the plate, driving in 2 runs and scoring a run, all out of the 9 hole in the lineup for Southwest Christian (24-4 overall, 6-1 district).—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More complicated commercial cases were on hold and took longer, triggering at least some delay.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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That kind of stuff is still kind of triggering.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The tactics are commonly associated with South American theft groups known for operating across state lines and moving quickly from one community to another.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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By the end, the movie takes on the hallucinatory feel of an existential horror film, less about where anyone is going than what keeps them moving at all.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Since then, prices for many games have been raised further, sparking widespread outrage.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The country’s new spiritual leader and highest authority – Mojtaba Khamenei – has not been seen in public since his inauguration last month, sparking questions over who is leading the decision-making in Iran.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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China’s exports will continue to be key in propelling its economy this year, economists believe, but reliance on export growth could now increasingly become a problem.—
Chan Ho-Him,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
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What has changed, Cuello said, is that the federal government passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and executive orders added more changes that are propelling disenrollment.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Actuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuating. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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