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
Pride Month is traditionally held in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City — a pivotal moment that acted as a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
—
Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
So a good catalyst has a large surface area with plenty of sites where the target species can stick and fall apart.
—Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
The biggest near-term catalyst for the cryptocurrency industry could be the CLARITY Act, which would lay out regulatory guidelines and help legitimize the crypto industry.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
The deals come at a time when investors are increasingly fixated on AI, both as a stock market catalyst and risk.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
So a good catalyst has a large surface area with plenty of sites where the target species can stick and fall apart.
—Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
The biggest near-term catalyst for the cryptocurrency industry could be the CLARITY Act, which would lay out regulatory guidelines and help legitimize the crypto industry.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
The deals come at a time when investors are increasingly fixated on AI, both as a stock market catalyst and risk.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst
Noun
-
Prabowo has pushed for heavier stimulus and lower interest rates.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Lower body weight means less mechanical load on the skeleton — reducing the stimulus for bones to stay strong, Kennel explained.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran has roiled the global energy markets and sent the cost of gas and jet fuel soaring.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
-
The unit includes products like hydraulic power packs for business jets and fuel pumps for commercial aircraft.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Obama defended diplomacy as a tool for addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying the latest negotiations demonstrate the limits of military force alone.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
14 June 2026
-
As businesses of all kinds are integrating automation tools into coding, into writing, and yes, into transactions, there’s some amount of concern about accuracy and oversight.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
BofA tracks 10 conditions that tend to all trigger before an S&P 500 peak, sorted by sentiment, valuation, and macroeconomic.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 June 2026
-
The daughter of a 2024 bus hijacking victim has filed a lawsuit saying the bus operator, Gwinnett County and the city of Atlanta are all to blame for not noticing the shooter’s erratic behavior long before the trigger was pulled.—
Alex Nettles,
AJC.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
There is currently no information on the containment or cause of the fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
12 Dec. 2025
-
He was then fired with cause by the university.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Digital services are also obliged to implement an age verification mechanism that goes beyond self-declaration that the user is over 18 to protect them from accessing inappropriate or prohibited material.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Reactive oxygen species, inflammation and collagen breakdown are three of the central mechanisms behind visible skin aging, which is why the finding has drawn attention beyond the lab.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The beloved 35-year-old Florida Ficus at the entrance is the impetus for the iconic logo.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The impetus of Vanity Fair’s meeting with Nézet-Séguin was the Met’s new production of El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, a recent work from US composer Gabriela Lena Frank (in her Met debut).—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
For human crews, this transformation removes them from hazardous sparks and toxic fumes, shifting their roles from manual laborers to supervisors of a faster, tireless robotic workforce.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
Then, gradually, life and habitual routines start getting in the way, and many couples are left wondering where that initial spark went.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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