CATALYST Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

catalyst

noun

Definition of catalyst

as in stimulus

something that arouses action or activity Her expulsion from the university proved to be a catalyst for needed change.

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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 catalyst Seattle’s defense came into Wednesday’s game down two starting safeties in Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada but the unit was the catalyst for getting the team’s first touchdown. — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 The night of the foursome eventually proves the catalyst for Paul Baker and Issa’s mid-season breakup, but that can’t keep her down. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 In this way, the future of IT will be shaped by leaders who shift their mindset from simply deploying AI to truly leveraging it as a catalyst that helps their teams reach their full potential. — Tal Dagan, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 The Jets will need Hall to be a catalyst once again, this time in their new offense under Reich. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for catalyst

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst

Noun

Analysts, however, expect that Beijing is unlikely to ramp up stimulus meaningfully as long as export growth remains strong enough to power the economy to land within the target range.

— Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
China reported downbeat consumption and investment figures, bolstering economists’ calls for fiscal stimulus to drive growth in the world’s second-biggest economy.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of stimulus

Noun

Instead of dispatching a service van ($150 to $300 in fuel and labor) and navigating traffic, the technician accessed the multitenant dashboard.

— Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
According to these measurements, even the fattest of the birds would run out of fuel—body fat and a bit of muscle—after about twenty-five hundred miles.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fuel

Noun

Following his arrest, authorities found a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines, about 190 rounds of ammunition, pepper spray, an entrenchment tool, and about 30 knives, according to the affidavit.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
The market is pricing in a more than 90% chance of a rate hike this afternoon, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool .

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of tool

Noun

Agents can call APIs, query databases, retrieve documents, invoke other models, generate files, trigger workflows, connect to SaaS platforms and even delegate work to other agents.

— Nicola Sfondrini, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Environmental critics called that assertion a lie, arguing the rollback will cause thousands of unnecessary deaths from pollution and trigger billions of dollars in additional health care costs.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of trigger

Noun

The agriculture ministry said the cause of the decline in production was in part due to extreme summer heat waves and intensifying drought across the country that caused sunburn, berry shriveling, and foliage shedding.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026
The next turn of the screw came in 1933, with a congressional investigation of the causes of the 1929 crash.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of cause

Noun

Habeas corpus, which allows a defendant to challenge the legality of their imprisonment, is among several mechanisms for release, some of which depend on a detainee’s location.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
This is also a mechanism that can support the scaling and financing of new industrial companies in clean tech, and the investment in new sustainable technologies.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of mechanism

Noun

The original impetus for quantum cosmology is to do with the fact that the Big Bang model is based on quantum matter, but classical gravity.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
The Lighthouse’s headquarters hadn’t been upgraded since the 1980s, Allen said, so the collapse provided the impetus to bring the facility into the 21st century.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026