sparked

past tense of spark
1
as in sparkled
to give off sparks the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sparked The scrutiny comes after the arrest of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of setting a smaller blaze six days earlier that authorities say sparked the larger inferno. Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025 Al-Sheikh’s message sparked a flurry of speculation in the following 48 hours over possible suitors, although the club have remained silent on the subject. Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 Officials say 29-year-old Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht sparked a small fire after dropping off passengers during the holiday. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 Before Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company, before its CEO, Jensen Huang, ascended to mononym fame, before the launch of ChatGPT sparked a gold rush for its chips, Tom Dalton was in the chipmaker’s stock. Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025 That discovery sparked interest in a new generation of nonhormonal male contraceptives that work without altering testosterone levels or causing long-term infertility. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 The story received national attention and sparked a tense back-and-forth exchange on social media between Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears and two top government officials. Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 10 Oct. 2025 Unsurprisingly, the question sparked a flurry of responses and lively debate. Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 The incident sparked global protests, including at Columbia University, where students renamed Hamilton Hall as Hind’s Hall. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparked
Verb
  • Diane Keaton, who sparkled in her Oscar-winning turn as the titular quirky woman in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall and portrayed the outsider Kay Adams-Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s three Godfather films, has died.
    Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The Eiffel Tower sparkled in their background as day turned into night.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The war has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The blast triggered secondary explosions that forced rescuers to keep their distance from the burning site.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hamas is a terrorist group that provoked a terrible war by massacring civilians.
    Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • No team in Europe’s top five leagues have provoked more offsides than Barcelona this season (42), so far at an even higher rate — over five per game — than their record-breaking tally last time around.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Philadelphia glowed with fresh patriotic spirit.
    Victoria Flexner, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The mountains glowed with golden light, evoking a sense of enchantment and possibility.
    Lisa Greissinger, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Harvard, Illinois Police Department said in a news release that the couple were found when an officer on October 6 noticed a parked car with its hazard lights activated.
    Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • It’s expected to last into Monday, authorizing the state’s emergency services personnel to be activated as necessary.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Lastly, the scholars chalk the tremendous success of the books up to Rowling’s evocative writing, which encouraged young readers to be creative while holding their attention for long periods of time.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Those who noticed the quake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On back-to-back shifts early in that eventual disaster of a second period, Maccelli flashed some of his playmaking skills to find both Knies and Matthews, the latter for a juicy look right in front of Cam Talbot.
    Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • As the signature yellow-and-white audio waveform flashed across ABC screens, the first high-stakes emergency sent crews rushing to a Kane Brown concert at Ascend Amphitheater.
    Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The vehicle Kinser drove was returned to its usual spot, but no one saw its return.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Some Democrats were concerned the bill created grey areas if a parent lent their car to their child who drove recklessly.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sparked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparked. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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