TRIGGER Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

trigger 1 of 2

verb

Definition of trigger

as in to activate

to cause to function mold triggers my allergies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trigger

2 of 2

noun

as in stimulus

Related Words

as in alarm

Related Words

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 trigger

Verb

Her decision triggered a battle over legal consequences surrounding workplace misconduct claims and the authority of campus tribunals. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Changes to models, prompts, tools or context should trigger proportionate testing. — Lakshmanan Alagappan, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Noun

Moore lives with chronic spontaneous urticaria, or CSU, in which hives, deeper swelling or both can recur for more than six weeks without a consistent, identifiable external trigger. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026 Then the crew could squeeze a trigger to take over manual control. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trigger

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trigger

Verb

After the release mechanism activates, the polymer hinges use heat to unfold the solar panels.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
About 32 minutes later, the camera was activated again as Derek left the apartment.

— Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of activate

Noun

Usefulness is key for the program, but so is providing stimuli.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026
Even seemingly small increases—like switching from 10-pound to 12-pound dumbbells, for example—can provide enough of an effective stimulus to build strength without over-stressing your body.

— Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of stimulus

Noun

The crackdown prompted alarm among radicals as signs increasingly showed the government treating political violence as a product of organized networks, not just individual defendants.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
That number represents a significant decrease from the same period last year when a spike in homicides turned up the volume on an alarm that had been ringing since the beginning of the pandemic.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of alarm

Verb

Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year Jessie-May Hall finally broke the game open for good by sparking a 7-0 run with five straight points as TCU entered the fourth ahead 56-41.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026
Ericka, being lighter-skinned than Paulina, sparks a clash between the school's headmistress and the pageant director over beauty and who would have the best chance of winning the Miss Global Universe pageant.

— Kristian Monroe, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of spark

Noun

The muon is typically ejected, freeing it to create a new exotic atom and restart the cycle; thus, the muon is acting as a catalyst, a nuclear matchmaker.

— George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Within consumer staples, Kimberly-Clark is my preference thanks to the Kenvue acquisition catalyst.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of catalyst

Verb

When the single mother of two was without a car to drive her son, senior Daijon Overton, from his home in Woodlawn to school in Morgan Park, the coach stepped in for the right tackle, Bush said.

— Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Her husband instructed their 13-year-old son to drive his three siblings to a nearby relative's home.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of drive

Noun

Explaining the impetus for her piece, Salcedo pointed to current conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and Sudan, where people are being violently displaced en masse.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Many of today’s proponents are more likely to cite the threat of unprecedented fortunes to democracy than the need for redistribution as the impetus for a wealth tax.

— Daniel Waldenstrom, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of impetus

Noun

Engineers are also working on the advanced radioisotope thermoelectric generators to maximize power output for deep-space environments.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Long story short, campers stay warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot nights without a loud, emissions-spewing engine or generator running in the background.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of generator

Browse Nearby Words

trig

trigger

triggered

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“Trigger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trigger. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of trigger

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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