as in stimulus
something that arouses action or activity
Her expulsion from the university proved to be a catalyst for needed change.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Traders’ fear isn’t about anything specific, and there wasn’t any obvious catalyst to lead to such enthusiastic selling.
—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
And in case her fame needs further contextualization, she is attributed as the catalyst behind the worldwide Labubu craze after posting one on Instagram in early 2024.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
23 June 2026
Tkachuk, who signed an eight-year extension immediately after the trade, has been a catalyst on and off the ice for Florida.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
Logan Paul tried to be the catalyst that helped The Vision keep the tag titles.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
And in case her fame needs further contextualization, she is attributed as the catalyst behind the worldwide Labubu craze after posting one on Instagram in early 2024.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
23 June 2026
Tkachuk, who signed an eight-year extension immediately after the trade, has been a catalyst on and off the ice for Florida.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
Logan Paul tried to be the catalyst that helped The Vision keep the tag titles.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 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.
-
Central banks thought that forward guidance, particularly when interest rates were very low, could provide additional market stimulus.
Noun
-
The Sevastopol resident – who did not want to be named for safety reasons – told CNN there was no fuel at gas stations, but that public transport was still running.
-
The Smoking River Brewing Company nearby is your best option for post-hike fuel, with brick oven pizza, beer, live music, and bingo.
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.
-
Miller-Green previously spent time in the Chicago White Sox organization and attracted national attention because of his remarkable background and rare physical tools.
Noun
-
There are never ten of 15 council members that pull the trigger and fire a bad city manager.
-
This removes a major trigger for addictive doomscrolling and the reinforcement of harmful content.
Noun
-
The cause of the fire is under investigation, the agency said.
-
The fire was brought under control but its causes were still being investigated, the operations center said.
Noun
-
Using a mechanism known as attention, transformers compare every token in a sequence to every other token in that sequence.
-
The combination of heat and humidity can be dangerous for humans, because humidity impacts how sweat evaporates, and that’s a cooling mechanism.
Noun
-
The analysts said recent talks between Japan and the Philippines over overlapping claims in their exclusive economic zones east of Taiwan may have been the impetus for the MSA mission east of Tawain.
-
The impetus behind launching its agentic commerce platform lies in the changes in how consumers shop.
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.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
