CATALYSTS Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

catalysts

noun

plural of catalyst

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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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 catalysts Record cell performance Subsequent tests carried out by the researchers showed a significant performance difference between the catalysts. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026 Drbul also noted that product innovation represents one of the most important catalysts for share price recovery. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 Credit Suisse’s anchor investors functioned as liquidity backstops rather than governance catalysts. — Albana Vrioni, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Liu cited multiple catalysts that could send the stock higher, ranging from margin expansion to product affordability and rapid expansion. — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026 Related Stories While these battles have been brewing for some time, two recent reports released this week have served as catalysts for the current situation. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 One of the catalysts for the theories about Patrick was his apparent stoicism on the witness stand. — Ross Douthat, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026 JPMorgan called out the delay specifically, warning that fading odds of passage remove one of the industry's clearest catalysts. — William Jones, IndyStar, 18 Sep. 2026 Even one of the beef’s catalysts, Metro Boomin, echoed the sentiment, lamenting how online fans had turned the battle into something sinister. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalysts

Noun

Interviewees said gentrification in other rapidly changing Pittsburgh neighborhoods, such as East Liberty, fuels that fear.

— Ira Goldstein, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Hydrogen-boron fusion, by contrast, relies on comparatively abundant fuels and primarily produces charged alpha particles rather than high-energy neutrons.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of fuels

Noun

Peptides and stem cells are two peas in the pod of regenerative medicine, which focuses on therapies that claim to trigger the body’s natural healing mechanisms.

— Margaret Manto, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
What mechanisms existed for addressing those reports and were they used effectively?

— Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of mechanisms

Noun

Some experts point to worsening public health since the 2008 financial crisis, citing factors such as growing obesity, long hospital waiting times, the cost-of-living crisis and other social causes.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
The official causes of death for both were deferred, pending further investigation.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of causes

Noun

And among recent film offerings are movie shot locally as the Garden State enjoys a Hollywood production boom underpinned by film tax credits and other state incentives and local hires.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
The Port Authority of Kansas City approved incentives for the development earlier this year.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of incentives

Noun

Personal autonomous vehicles, by contrast, are a natural extension of the company’s 118 years of expertise in building vehicles for individual customers.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Once operational, the aircraft will give Stratolaunch another option for putting reusable hypersonic test vehicles into flight.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of vehicles

Noun

They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment.

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
Activated by eminent domain Cook, an insurance agent living in Sugarloaf Township next door, has her own reasons to oppose the data center project.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of reasons

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catalyst

catalysts

catalyze

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“Catalysts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalysts. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of catalysts

noun

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