1
as in sparkles
to give off sparks
the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in triggers
to cause to function
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provokes
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
as in splashes
a very small amount
not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sparks
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Benjamin Franklin linked sparks in the lab with lightning in the sky in his famous kite-flying experiment in 1752.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
Aside from the occasional signs of energy from Urban, the movie only really sparks to life when laser-eyed Australian mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson) is brought back for reasons even the other characters in the movie acknowledge are unwarranted.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
And a Supreme Court decision weakening the Voting Rights Act sparks a scramble in some Southern states to get in on redistricting before the midterm elections.
—CBS News, 4 May 2026
The Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County began when a foil-like party balloon hit a power line and sparks ignited surrounding vegetation, authorities say.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Rescue sparks debate in country Officials in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said their strategy had focused on minimizing stress for the animal, rejecting public calls for the whale to be euthanized to end its suffering.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
That hasn’t been the case for Becky’s Book Club, which still sparks lively debate at every meeting.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Special guest Lil Wayne sparks a lighter before lighting up the track with his wordplay and an iconic C-Murder reference.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 27 Apr. 2026
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
Surveillance video shows sparks were flying as the vehicle slid into the building.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
That blaze was started by sparks from a welding operation.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Started by sparks from a welding operation, that wildfire was also about 10% contained.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Welding work can set off sparks that quickly catch in dry vegetation.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
If the device is forced beyond this range, such as during a power surge, the extra voltage can cause tiny sparks, heat buildup, or electrical arcing inside the circuits, which can overload and burn out your electronics, especially the more sensitive components.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026
Skid marks formed on the road surface and smoke and sparks were produced from the rear end of the car, police said.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Born blind and yearning for connection, his obsession sparks a subculture that helps shape the future of hacking and technology.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Benjamin Franklin linked sparks in the lab with lightning in the sky in his famous kite-flying experiment in 1752.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
Aside from the occasional signs of energy from Urban, the movie only really sparks to life when laser-eyed Australian mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson) is brought back for reasons even the other characters in the movie acknowledge are unwarranted.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
And a Supreme Court decision weakening the Voting Rights Act sparks a scramble in some Southern states to get in on redistricting before the midterm elections.
—CBS News, 4 May 2026
The Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County began when a foil-like party balloon hit a power line and sparks ignited surrounding vegetation, authorities say.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Rescue sparks debate in country Officials in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said their strategy had focused on minimizing stress for the animal, rejecting public calls for the whale to be euthanized to end its suffering.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
That hasn’t been the case for Becky’s Book Club, which still sparks lively debate at every meeting.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Special guest Lil Wayne sparks a lighter before lighting up the track with his wordplay and an iconic C-Murder reference.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
The cause of the plane’s malfunctions is, duh, random sparks from annoying Dan’s charger starting a fire in cargo.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
Surveillance video shows sparks were flying as the vehicle slid into the building.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
That blaze was started by sparks from a welding operation.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Started by sparks from a welding operation, that wildfire was also about 10% contained.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Welding work can set off sparks that quickly catch in dry vegetation.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
If the device is forced beyond this range, such as during a power surge, the extra voltage can cause tiny sparks, heat buildup, or electrical arcing inside the circuits, which can overload and burn out your electronics, especially the more sensitive components.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026
Skid marks formed on the road surface and smoke and sparks were produced from the rear end of the car, police said.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparks
Verb
-
On this campus tour, Kirkland showed off the three-year-old football stadium that sparkles, and the new baseball and softball diamonds nearby.—
Joe Davidson
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
The lobby’s long chandelier sparkles above low-rise velvet chairs, and Frank Stella and other large-scale artworks punctuate every corner.—
Carrie Honaker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
That level of accuracy is what triggers panic and lowers your guard.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
The test cases—meaning the HTML or other code that triggers an unsafe memory condition—are provided in each one and meet the same criteria Mozilla requires for all bugs to be considered security vulnerabilities in Firefox.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
But the question of what is true or not is futile, even if Calle deliberately provokes this curiosity.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The flurry of imagery provokes a surreal sort of whiplash.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Caffeine powders, energy drink mixes and juice splashes can pile on stimulants and sugar quickly, especially when stacked together in the same drink.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
7 May 2026
-
Morning is generally better than evening, because any splashes have time to dry before nightfall.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On the western horizon, Venus glows brightly at sunset, while Jupiter hangs just above it.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
Even if other tracks on BASS2 don’t quite rise to the same level, the record glows with new confidence.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Moon in Sagittarius activates your 3rd House of Communication, encouraging direct expression and clearer exchanges.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
This activates systems in your body that control your stress levels and your hormones.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Armbruster encourages drivers to compare prices between stations instead of automatically stopping at the same place every time to fill up.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2026
-
The equal time law encourages more speech and empowers voters to decide the outcome of elections.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
There are no easy answers in education, but there are glimmers of hope.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
-
While the storm is looming, there are new glimmers of possibility—friends can become lovers, strangers can become friends on the subway, the supermarket aisles are charged with meaning.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sparks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparks. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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