keys (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of key (up)
as in sets off

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keys (up)
  1. sets off
  2. motivates
  3. activates
  4. induces
  5. energizes
  6. quickens
  7. inspires
  8. animates
Verb
  • And the wandering king’s son and heir, Telemachus (Tom Holland), is convinced his father is still alive and sets off to find him.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But the arrival of two strangers investigating her past sets off a series of events that prompts the residents of Crystal Lake to question who Pam Voorhees really is.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
Definition of sets off
Verb
  • For all his success, Sienkiewicz has never lost the sense of wonder at being able to do work that motivates himself personally.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • What needs to be consolidated to create a space that motivates you?
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of motivates
Verb
  • Chili introduces capsaicin, which activates nerves responsible for sensing heat rather than taste.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • Every summer in Rhode Island, Art&Newport—an organization founded in 2017 by Dodie Kazanjian, a longtime contributing editor at this magazine—activates one of the seaside city’s most historic (and picturesque) sites with a temporary art exhibition.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 28 July 2026
Definition of activates
Verb
  • Researchers exposed male mouse testicle cells, known as TM3 cells, to a chemical that induces oxidative stress.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
  • For Carney, 43, though, being asked to draw or write a tattoo for a fan immediately induces a certain level of stress.
    — Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026
Definition of induces
Verb
  • Auspicious Jupiter energizes your 3rd House of Communication while imaginative Neptune harmonizes from your 11th House of Friends and Community, making ideas, introductions, and pitches flow more easily.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
  • Mars energizes your 6th House of Work and Wellness, while Saturn reinforces your 4th House of Home and Foundations.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of energizes
Verb
  • More potassium nitrate sustains a longer burn; more sulfur quickens the explosion.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • As technology advances, the pace of deforestation only quickens, resulting in the penetration and destruction of even the most remote wildernesses.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of quickens
Verb
  • Homer, the enigmatic poet, still provokes and inspires us all.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But given the profundity of her subject matter and the near-universal awe her art inspires, perhaps this sense of futility gestures at the incomprehensible, even transcendent aura around Petviashvili’s works.
    — The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of inspires
Verb
  • On his first appearance for Peak Oil, the Mancunian producer animates foreboding, percussive bass music with tricky details and Escherian grooves.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
  • Listening to his composition, I am struck by its beauty, craftsmanship, and the unmistakable sense of wonder that animates it.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 10 July 2026
Definition of animates
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.

Browse Nearby Words

keystones
keys (up)
key (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Keys (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keys%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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