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
Researchers believe improving catalyst performance could help make the technology more practical for real-world applications, including portable electronics, wearable devices, and large-scale energy storage systems.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
This proves to be the catalyst for mass rioting.
—Helaine Williams, Arkansas Online, 13 June 2026
Then came an unlikely catalyst.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 13 June 2026
Recent streaming data for the Wu-Tang Clan, whose Game 4 halftime performance was perhaps the catalyst for the Knicks’ incredible 29-point come-from-behind victory, was not known at press time.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
This proves to be the catalyst for mass rioting.
—Helaine Williams, Arkansas Online, 13 June 2026
Then came an unlikely catalyst.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 13 June 2026
Recent streaming data for the Wu-Tang Clan, whose Game 4 halftime performance was perhaps the catalyst for the Knicks’ incredible 29-point come-from-behind victory, was not known at press time.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst
Noun
-
China also engineered a massive government stimulus package to stabilize its economy.—
Paul Wiseman,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
-
Central banks thought that forward guidance, particularly when interest rates were very low, could provide additional market stimulus.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
The country's blockade has throttled traffic through the channel, driving up fuel prices and threatening the global economy.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
After weeks of overnight fuel thefts, Rocklin police arrested a suspect during an early Thursday traffic stop, the department announced.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Under them, a chatbot must not be able to interact with someone under 18 unless it is programmed against encouraging self-destructive behavior and provides parents with tools to manage the child’s use.—
Marc Levy,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Miller-Green previously spent time in the Chicago White Sox organization and attracted national attention because of his remarkable background and rare physical tools.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
There are never ten of 15 council members that pull the trigger and fire a bad city manager.—
Nathalie Marie Palacios,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
This removes a major trigger for addictive doomscrolling and the reinforcement of harmful content.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The cause of the fire is under investigation, the agency said.—
Faris Tanyos,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
The fire was brought under control but its causes were still being investigated, the operations center said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Using a mechanism known as attention, transformers compare every token in a sequence to every other token in that sequence.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
The combination of heat and humidity can be dangerous for humans, because humidity impacts how sweat evaporates, and that’s a cooling mechanism.—
Alexa St. John,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
The Forest Service has cited cost savings as the impetus for a reorganization that will shutter dozens of research facilities.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
And the main impetus for that arboreal death was the state’s dwindling water supply.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The instinctive Moon in your 5th House of Creativity and Play opposes elusive Neptune in your 11th House of Friends, so plans may blur your spark.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 June 2026
-
The first four episodes made available for review likewise have tiny sparks of interest, from some witty dialogue to genuine plot momentum to intriguing new characters popping up.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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