1
2
as in triggered
to cause to function
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoked
to rouse to strong feeling or action
President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sparked
Brown was 20 at the time, and Bongiovi was 22, which sparked some online controversy.
—
Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Her research has sparked a collaboration with Umweltbundesamt, a federal agency in Germany focused on environmental research.
—NPR, 8 Nov. 2025
Built around those calls — punctuated by Hassona’s own images — the film sidesteps the usual remove of war docs for something rawer and more intimate, the kind of testimony that has sparked emotional audience responses since Cannes and subsequent European outings.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
The pair — who sparked romance rumors in June 2021 when Bongiovi shared a selfie with the actress — first connected through Instagram.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Their acquittal sparked the Liberty City riots in 1980, which left 18 dead and swaths of the city torched.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The ad has sparked backlash, with some fans accusing it of being out of touch amid today's economic struggles.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Santillana Galeano, 38, was detained at a day care center in Chicago earlier this week in a turbulent incident that sparked outrage.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
That’s what sparked that thing.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Her research has sparked a collaboration with Umweltbundesamt, a federal agency in Germany focused on environmental research.
—NPR, 8 Nov. 2025
Built around those calls — punctuated by Hassona’s own images — the film sidesteps the usual remove of war docs for something rawer and more intimate, the kind of testimony that has sparked emotional audience responses since Cannes and subsequent European outings.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
The pair — who sparked romance rumors in June 2021 when Bongiovi shared a selfie with the actress — first connected through Instagram.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Their acquittal sparked the Liberty City riots in 1980, which left 18 dead and swaths of the city torched.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The ad has sparked backlash, with some fans accusing it of being out of touch amid today's economic struggles.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Santillana Galeano, 38, was detained at a day care center in Chicago earlier this week in a turbulent incident that sparked outrage.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
That’s what sparked that thing.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparked
Verb
-
Above him, the night sky sparkled.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Richardson sparkled in her Hannah Montana costume.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The negative reviews — some going as far as calling All’s Fair the worst show ever with the worst acting — triggered a new media cycle of stories.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
-
This triggered a state law requiring the campus to either be closed or for the school board to be replaced with a board of managers.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
However, this year's ad has provoked widespread criticism, with some even calling for a boycott of Sephora.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
These characters are so thin, their storylines so flimsy and their motives so underbaked that there’s no recognizable emotion underlying any of it, and thus no feeling to be provoked by watching it.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Even from a boat, the gleaming white of bleached and dead corals glowed from beneath the surface.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The ground cover glowed gold and red.—
Gloria Liu,
Outside Online,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Smith was a full participant in the Eagles' last practice, and he was activated off Injured Reserve on Monday afternoon.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
During inquiries, the ICO found 178 active email accounts using passwords identical or similar to those set by the organization’s IT desk when the account was activated.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The city’s emergency overflow shelter is available to adults over 18, with capacity for dogs in kennels, but the office encouraged people who need a warm place to sleep to seek primary shelters as a first option.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Nov. 2025
-
During the end of the latter track, Lauper encouraged audience members to sing along and brought Salt-n-Pepa onstage to join in.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And his feel and vision on the puck flashed.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The lookalike duo flashed their identical warm smiles while attending the Mothers & Daughters 4 Choice event back in '94.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was said to have intentionally drove into bicycle lanes to strike some of the cyclists, said Christophe Sueur, the mayor of Saint-Pierre d'Oleron.—
Tom Soufi Burridge,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Periodically, one or two cars drove up for a box of food, but otherwise, all was quiet.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparked. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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