actuating

verb

present participle of actuate
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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuating
  1. activating
  2. driving
  3. triggering
  4. moving
  5. sparking
  6. propelling
Verb
  • Erlich’s installations remain incomplete until visitors enter them, activating the works through their own movement, curiosity and participation.
    — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Stewart grabs the ring activating it, before the car crashes in the canyon below.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026
Definition of activating
Verb
  • His top priorities include driving economic growth, creating well-paying jobs, and expanding opportunities for both union and non-union workers.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Ballout was suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Pride festival Saturday night before apparently stabbing others with a machete in what authorities believe was an Islamic extremist terror attack.
    — Geir Moulson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • Both were booked Wednesday, triggering one-game suspensions that will keep them out of one of the club’s biggest matches of the season.
    — Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
  • Peptides are the building blocks of more complex proteins, triggering hormones inside the body needed for growth, metabolism and healing.
    — Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • Spence, 36, makes his return after a nearly three-year layoff and a brutal TKO loss to Terence Crawford, moving up two divisions into hostile territory.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • That’s the tricky balance Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy must navigate moving forward.
    — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of moving
Verb
  • Mike McDaniel is the new offensive coordinator, sparking excitement for Johnston to build off his flashes from last season.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • This follows June and July reports that COSR lacked the finances, sparking American fans' hopes for Chiles to reclaim the medal.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of sparking
Verb
  • Over the course of six weeks, fan favorites Bryce Alakai and Trinity Tatum evolved from friends to lovers, propelling their connection above the rest.
    — Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • The gravity assist maneuver wasn't unlike a slingshot, propelling the Psyche spacecraft on a trajectory to arrive at the metallic main-belt asteroid Psyche by the end of 2029, NASA explained.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of propelling

Browse Nearby Words

actuates
actuating
actuator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuating. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on actuating

Nglish: Translation of actuating for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All