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
There have been three catalysts that have shifted focus away from America and toward investing overseas, according to Alessio de Longis, head of investments and senior portfolio manager at Invesco.
—
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
The pandemic served as a major catalyst, with many turning to tarot as a form of self-care and introspection when faced with life’s bigger questions and fewer distractions.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
Lutetium is used a chemical catalyst fluid in oil refiners.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
It was envisioned as a catalyst for world peace by connecting people from different cultural backgrounds.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
The pandemic served as a major catalyst, with many turning to tarot as a form of self-care and introspection when faced with life’s bigger questions and fewer distractions.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
Lutetium is used a chemical catalyst fluid in oil refiners.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
It was envisioned as a catalyst for world peace by connecting people from different cultural backgrounds.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst
Noun
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Conscious perception is the ability of human beings to become aware of the stimuli received by their senses.—
Jorge Garay,
Wired News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
This micro-moment creates space between stimulus and response, where emotional intelligence flourishes.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration, though, has recently objected to ICAO's move to boost sustainable aviation fuel.—
Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The low-cost shipping had helped fuel bargain shopping online at firms like Temu and Shein.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This capability—combined with tools like protein folding simulations—has opened the door to faster, more efficient drug development pipelines.—
Tomoko Yokoi,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The supplements are a crucial tool for averting malnutrition.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Meteorologists issued flash flood warnings across north-central Texas as much of the central U.S. braces for a series of thunderstorms that threaten to spin up tornadoes, trigger flash flooding, and drop damaging, baseball-sized hail.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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An ex-con will serve 17 years behind bars for serving as the driver in a beloved Brooklyn chef’s drive-by shooting murder — but the men who pulled the trigger remain on the loose almost seven years after the killing.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The presence of a chemical compound used in missile production, sodium perchlorate, was considered a possible cause.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
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Police said the identity of the individual remains unknown and the cause of death is pending determination by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Pointer Authentication is a security mechanism designed to resist memory disclosure attacks, says Adam Boynton, senior security strategy manager EMEIA at Jamf told me.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal ensured through a number of mechanisms that Iran’s nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The impetus for his ire had everything to do with Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert, who was being chastised by the fan when Edwards decided to step in and take over the exchange.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Union leaders said the impetus for the strike was a string of 44 labor law violations allegedly committed by the county, including retaliation and contracting out work that’s supposed to be done by union members.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The struggling Minnesota Twins were looking for some sort of a spark last week, after opening the season slowly.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
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The Toronto Blue Jays’ catcher has walked to the plate 27 times this season with a runner in scoring position, constantly a swing away from igniting an offense that badly needs a spark.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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