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 When a catalyst like that hits and the chart is already set up with a base in place, institutions move fast. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 The pandemic was a catalyst for the isolation but so was increasing use of social media and technology, experts say. — Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Conventional platinum-nickel catalysts can initially perform well, but nickel gradually dissolves during extended operation. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026 For the second time in six years, Keegan was Liverpool’s catalyst. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for catalyst

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst

Noun

The third is to develop novel variations of your stimuli or your benchmark items in order to test robustness and generalization.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
The country on Monday reported disappointing retail sales and industrial production growth for July, fueling hopes for more rate cuts and stimulus.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of stimulus

Noun

Drivers in the Iranian capital of Tehran are experiencing long lines at gas stations and temporary fuel shortages, according to Iranian news agencies, although authorities have insisted the overall fuel supply chain remains stable.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Ukraine's long-range drones have repeatedly hit facilities in Russia's vital oil industry, causing fuel shortages, and have also engaged in a campaign against Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of fuel

Noun

Tubes from hospital equipment were still attached to his face, gunshot wounds on his right side were still gaping, and tattoos which included a gun and a bullet casing were still embedded in his skin, a permanent memorial to the tools of his demise.

— Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Their choices were tools that understand their work and keep them in control.

— Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of tool

Noun

There are no clear trigger thresholds for yields that instantly undercut equities, even if equity investors are watching warily.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
That means naming pregnant women explicitly in heatwave guidance, revisiting the heat thresholds that trigger official alerts, and assessing whether maternity units themselves can cope as temperatures rise.

— Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of trigger

Noun

Wiener has long championed making housing easier to build, but in San Francisco resisting development is a bedrock cause for those on the city’s left.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Picking up a group tab, joining a cause, or saying yes to a social plan could stretch your budget, even if your generosity is sincere.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of cause

Noun

Booking through this system is the only mechanism that guarantees a transit date for vessels.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
The Athletic has previously detailed the mechanisms of the new rules in some depth but, to refresh, SCR is a financial rule first introduced by UEFA in June 2022, and first operated in the 2023-24 season.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of mechanism

Noun

The Relic chip, of course, is the impetus for the main storyline of Cyberpunk 2077, where V inserts the experimental tech that contains the soul, in effect, of a real person.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
The only impetus for any transaction is Berg’s need to comply with league rules for his new job.

— Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026