as in to stimulate
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
Mr. Clark animates history for his sixth graders by frequently showing up for class dressed like some famous historical figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in animated
having much high-spirited energy and movement
an animate dance routine that will really get the blood pumping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in breathing
having or showing life
had a dream about a sandwich that becomes animate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of animate
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
At Faena New York, that spirit animates the property, with installations, performances, and events that turn its New York building into a living gallery.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025
Political violence in the late summer and early fall, along with a government shutdown that began Oct. 1 also appeared to animate voters in the final days of the campaign.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animate
Verb
That anything-for-a-laugh ethos is not a flaw in his canon but its animating principle.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
At Faena New York, that spirit animates the property, with installations, performances, and events that turn its New York building into a living gallery.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
From lanterns several stories tall and hundreds of feet long to interactive exhibits that animate and breathe fire (in the form of smoke, Lewis clarifies), the festival evokes a deep sense of awe.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025
Political violence in the late summer and early fall, along with a government shutdown that began Oct. 1 also appeared to animate voters in the final days of the campaign.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animate
Verb
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Then, they are manually placed on Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs), a grid of tiny electrodes on a biocompatible substrate chip that records and stimulates neurons using 32 electrodes grouped into four sets of eight.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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To wit, lymphatic brushes join the ranks of depuffing tools like gua shas, face rollers, and dry brushes; most working to stimulate lymphatic drainage, your body’s natural detoxification process.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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During the trial, many of Cardi's impassioned exchanges with the Janfaza went viral due to her unfiltered, expletive-laced responses and animated expressions, including eye rolls and shrugs.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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Tang joined Adult Swim in 2012 and contributed to the development of numerous live‑action and animated originals including Joe Pera Talks with You, Royal Crackers, The Eric Andre Show, and the WGA Award-winning Three Busy Debras.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But smart casting, witty writing, lively directing, and artful character development have also yielded the rare superhero riff that, as Kovak puts it, finds the human underneath.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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For 30 minutes, the producers mostly paint with a warm, lively palette, whisking fragments of IDM, ghettotech, and house into a hypnotic swirl.—
Rae-Aila Crumble,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago were able to keep a critically ill patient alive for 48 hours after removing both of his lungs, the hospital reported last week.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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His interests reflect both his creativity and his energetic spirit.—
MARE Staff,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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Some 35 times more energetic than any neutrino seen before, the particle might have shot out from a highly active galaxy — a blazar — or a background source of cosmogenic high-energy particles that scientists suspect pervade the cosmos.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Three of the court’s 11 active judges would have granted rehearing, and one dissent is expected to be published at a later date.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
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Their departure from active group work would leave a void that few current girl groups are positioned to fill, if any.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Animate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animate. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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