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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Recent Examples of catalyst
While there’s legitimate concern about the energy needs and impact of data centers, AI can also be a catalyst in reducing pollutants.
—
Diane Brady, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Although heavy snowfall triggered some avalanches in early 2026, experts warn that crowding may be another catalyst.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 13 Feb. 2026
There are catalysts for this new energy in the younger musicians Beltran brought in to contribute to the album.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Contact with a catalyst or exposure to air triggers polymerization.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Diane Brady, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Although heavy snowfall triggered some avalanches in early 2026, experts warn that crowding may be another catalyst.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 13 Feb. 2026
There are catalysts for this new energy in the younger musicians Beltran brought in to contribute to the album.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Contact with a catalyst or exposure to air triggers polymerization.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst
Noun
-
Her wildly optimistic logic is that fiscal stimulus will spark growth, and that the private sector will raise long-stagnant wages, thereby increasing tax revenues.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Smart polymers already exist and can respond to such stimuli, altering their color or shape and then returning to their original state.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Then, about four to five billion years later, our Sun will run out of hydrogen fuel in its core, evolving into a red giant.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Transit agencies and freight carriers want lighter rolling stock to cut fuel use.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On Tuesday, tech startup Altruist announced a new tax planning feature for Hazel, the company’s AI tool.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
According to a report from Axios, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to ByteDance, accusing the company of distributing and reproducing its intellectual property through the new AI tool without permission.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But age alone is not a structural diagnosis — and Florida law recognizes that reality by requiring an inspection pathway rather than a blanket age trigger.—
Mike McGilvary,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Another trigger is a response to stress or injury, as a means of supplementing food reaching the roots when carbohydrate levels decline in the canopy.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Even cursory nods to the pandemic as the root cause of neighbors turning against neighbors aren’t explored so much as they’re acknowledged, as if viewers are somehow unaware of the polarization plaguing America.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Fiber intake, in particular, showed a strong association with longevity, while consuming lots of sugary beverages was linked to higher all-cause mortality.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered a new cellular mechanism behind how humans develop sharp, high-acuity vision.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
For the first time since Israel occupied the territory in 1967, the government will create a mechanism to officially register large swaths of land under the state.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That impetus brought Lance Hammer back out of the woodwork, a gauntlet thrown to himself to think through problematic contradictions involving the quite different — and often sparring — human verticals of capability, autonomy, and decline.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said, was the impetus for his 2002 album The Rising.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That combined with unseasonably warm temperatures and relative humidity levels as low as 10 percent will create perfect conditions for any spark to take off.—
Dave Aguilera,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
March 21 – April 19 Aries, your spark wants a clear path.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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