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
These models could, for instance, scan for previously unknown catalysts that could fix atmospheric carbon and so mitigate climate change.
—
Chi Chen, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
From the Georgia swamps to the Appalachian Mountains to the Texas Hill Country, our dramatic regional landscapes are driving forces in many of the best Southern books for children and serve as catalysts for the actions and emotions of the characters.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Analyst Divya Gangahar Kothiyal said the stock is AI winner with a slew of positive catalysts coming up.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
The resulting encounters with her family—her father, Kim Oryeong (Kwon Haehyo); her mother, Choi Sunhee (Cho Yunhee); and her sister, Kim Neunghee (Park Miso)—are the catalysts of revelations that prove consequential for the couple and the family alike.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
It's used in automotive catalysts, industrial manufacturing and some clean-energy applications, and, like silver, its supply is critically constrained, so there tends to be more demand than supply, pushing up the price.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
The team now looks toward their next phase of research, which aims to eliminate the need for metal catalysts entirely.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
There are catalysts for this new energy in the younger musicians Beltran brought in to contribute to the album.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
And there are few catalysts on the horizon.
—Brett Owens, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Chi Chen, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
From the Georgia swamps to the Appalachian Mountains to the Texas Hill Country, our dramatic regional landscapes are driving forces in many of the best Southern books for children and serve as catalysts for the actions and emotions of the characters.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Analyst Divya Gangahar Kothiyal said the stock is AI winner with a slew of positive catalysts coming up.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
The resulting encounters with her family—her father, Kim Oryeong (Kwon Haehyo); her mother, Choi Sunhee (Cho Yunhee); and her sister, Kim Neunghee (Park Miso)—are the catalysts of revelations that prove consequential for the couple and the family alike.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
It's used in automotive catalysts, industrial manufacturing and some clean-energy applications, and, like silver, its supply is critically constrained, so there tends to be more demand than supply, pushing up the price.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
The team now looks toward their next phase of research, which aims to eliminate the need for metal catalysts entirely.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
There are catalysts for this new energy in the younger musicians Beltran brought in to contribute to the album.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
And there are few catalysts on the horizon.
—Brett Owens, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalysts
Noun
-
The government has also removed import tariffs on fuels through the end of April in a bid to ease pressure on the market.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
At this point, experts say, even if a fire starts, the fuels aren’t dry enough to cause a massive conflagration.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike conventional pipe-inspection tools, the robot can travel up to 6 km on a single battery charge, while operating in passages only a few centimeters wide.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Always wear safety gear when working with tools and equipment.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are no accountability mechanisms on issues such as housing.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The aim was to assess how digital activism supports truth-telling, collective memory and atrocity prevention mechanisms.—
Arnaud Kurze,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Walz also is calling for the Legislature to re-pass a ban on binary triggers, modifications for semiautomatic rifles that fire a shot when the trigger is pulled and again while released, greatly boosting the weapon’s rate of fire.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The condition isn't fully understood, as causes can range from mild to moderate head trauma, to pre-existing inner ear diseases, and treatment is confined largely to a physical therapy exercise called the Epley maneuver.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Other cast members have died from substance abuse or natural causes.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Another reason is that in many European leagues, a large share of broadcasting revenue comes from viewers’ pay-TV subscriptions, negating some of the incentives behind sweeping ad rollouts.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Plano city leaders later agreed to give AT&T $20 million in incentives and a lengthy property tax rebate for the firm to build its new global headquarters.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The market share of zero-emission vehicles among all light-duty vehicles sold rose from 12% in 2021 to 19% in 2022.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Despite these challenges, the verification system continued functioning throughout the entire flight, proving that blockchain technology can reliably operate on lightweight onboard hardware used in autonomous aerial vehicles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And one of the reasons Nix wasn’t healthy was that the signal-caller had to pick up more slack in the run game once Dobbins was gone.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For similar reasons, many of the foundations and artists’ estates once considered the ultimate authorities (like the Keith Haring Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts) have ceased offering authentication services.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catalysts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalysts. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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