as in fuels
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 catalysts
The firm also downgrades Texas Instruments on valuation and no new near term catalysts.
—
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Thomas’ national title sparked nationwide backlash and is considered one of the catalysts in the battle over transgender athlete participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Academics cite Wallace’s story as one of the catalysts behind a fringe concept that has spread among adherents to the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement and is gaining traction at the highest levels of the federal government.
—Stephanie Armour, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
And many serve as catalysts, accelerating chemical reactions that transform one molecule into another.
—Stavroula Alina Kampouri, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
As data centers grow in importance, so do these developments’ roles as economic catalysts, and fortunately, many regions have recognized the economic opportunity these capital-intensive construction projects present.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Without that structure, even the best tools are destined to remain curiosities rather than catalysts.
—Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Many drugs, enzymes, catalysts, and other chemicals of incalculable value were first identified in natural samples.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
The foam ceramics’ porous, network-like structure provides extensive surface area for catalysts and adsorbents.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Thomas’ national title sparked nationwide backlash and is considered one of the catalysts in the battle over transgender athlete participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Academics cite Wallace’s story as one of the catalysts behind a fringe concept that has spread among adherents to the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement and is gaining traction at the highest levels of the federal government.
—Stephanie Armour, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
And many serve as catalysts, accelerating chemical reactions that transform one molecule into another.
—Stavroula Alina Kampouri, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
As data centers grow in importance, so do these developments’ roles as economic catalysts, and fortunately, many regions have recognized the economic opportunity these capital-intensive construction projects present.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Without that structure, even the best tools are destined to remain curiosities rather than catalysts.
—Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Many drugs, enzymes, catalysts, and other chemicals of incalculable value were first identified in natural samples.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
The foam ceramics’ porous, network-like structure provides extensive surface area for catalysts and adsorbents.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalysts
Noun
-
In the sixties, a California law supported by the state’s fire agency advanced the foundational concept of defensible space, a zone of up to a hundred feet where fuels such as brush and trees are strategically trimmed back and managed.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Continue reading … LIZ PEEK – Democrat fury fuels 'No Kings' protests but endgame is elusive.—
,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For all of the perils of injecting it into the newsgathering process, AI tools have also come to be seen as useful and less-fraught ways to create efficiencies in editing, advertising and other areas.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Make sure all ingredients and tools are as cold as possible.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Their mechanisms of play have stayed constant, and present a challenge for Amorim to solve.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
As part of this, internal deployment should be treated with the same care as external deployment, and rigorous assessments and evaluations to identify dangerous capabilities, the establishment of clear risk profiles, and required control or guardrail mechanisms prior to usage should be encouraged .—
Yoshua Bengio,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The French Revolution of 1789 had many causes—political, ideological, economic, and social—yet in its early phases, many people were optimistic about forming a new representative government based on meritocracy and leaving behind an absolutist polity and hierarchical class structures.—
Time,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Other possible causes include contact with hazardous substances such as smoke from oil well fires, pesticides, depleted uranium, and solvents or corrosive liquids used during equipment repair and maintenance.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This has raised questions about whether the huge tax incentives and infrastructure investments these sites demand from state and municipal governments (such as power stations, transmission lines, water supply upgrades, and roads) will pay off for local communities.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The report also describes incentives for landlords to make energy efficiency upgrades, citing a model in Atlanta targeted at landlords who accept rental assistance vouchers.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Video shown during the news conference showed the car in the parking lot, pulling up to a couple of police vehicles, then backing up and stopping.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Illinois is attempting to crack down on federal officers who try to disguise their vehicles in pursuit of undocumented individuals.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Due process requires a commitment to the reasons punishment is sought and thus allows those reasons to be addressed and countered.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At its core, the connection reading sparks is deeply personal.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Antique or fragile glass items may also shatter under heat, and glassware finished with metallic trims or decorations can cause sparks or fires.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catalysts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalysts. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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