triggering 1 of 2

adjective

as in provoking

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

triggering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of trigger
as in activating
to cause to function mold triggers my allergies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 triggering
Verb
Other team-period notes With the second team in the same period, running back Brashard Smith caught a quick pass from Justin Fields and juked a defender, triggering a collective gasp from the crowd. — Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 As the compressed sides bulge outward under load, the tower’s structural strength drops sharply, frequently triggering sudden buckling or catastrophic collapse. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026 The surge marks one of the largest migrant waves to hit Ceuta since 2021, when more than 8,000 people entered the Spanish territory over two days, triggering a diplomatic dispute between Spain and Morocco. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 For instance, while journeying through the depths of Pisces, Luna will clash with Uranus in Gemini this afternoon, triggering a restless undercurrent that can make routines, restrictions and other people’s expectations all the more irritating. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 With Villa manager Unai Emery doubting the wisdom of triggering the clause to buy him, Elliott was frozen out. — James Pearce, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Key Facts South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index fell nearly 13% on Wednesday—triggering a halt in trading—before closing 6% down. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 On Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, 3 to 6 inches of rain fell across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, triggering numerous flash-flood warnings. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 29 July 2026 OpenAI disclosed that test versions of its AI models slipped their offline confines, accessed the internet and hacked into rival startup Hugging Face, triggering alarm over uncontrolled, rule-breaking machines. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for triggering
  1. provoking
  2. activating
  3. inflammatory
  4. sparking
  5. explosive
  6. driving
  7. incendiary
  8. generating
Adjective
  • The Best Books of the Year (So Far) Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Chiarella has come up with an ingenious premise that is as twisted as it is thought-provoking.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Erlich’s installations remain incomplete until visitors enter them, activating the works through their own movement, curiosity and participation.
    — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Stewart grabs the ring activating it, before the car crashes in the canyon below.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026
Definition of activating
Adjective
  • On Thursday, the panel voted 8-6 to add BPC-157 to the list for treating ulcerative colitis, to add KPV for wound healing and inflammatory conditions, and to add TB-500 for wound healing.
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 24 July 2026
  • For example, kefir may stop the production of inflammatory proteins that can destroy beta cells, which are cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
    — Jillian Kubala, Health, 23 July 2026
Definition of inflammatory
Verb
  • The organization further noted that the showcase created meaningful engagement with the material while sparking conversations around co-production, financing, distribution and international collaboration.
    — E'Ian West, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Doing so could serve the purpose of sparking other suitors into action.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of sparking
Adjective
  • But that success means investors and analysts now expect nothing short of explosive growth every quarter.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • The cannonballs — the largest about the size of grapefruits and weighing about as much as a shot put ball — were inactive and didn’t contain any explosive material or active components, the TSA said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of explosive
Verb
  • His top priorities include driving economic growth, creating well-paying jobs, and expanding opportunities for both union and non-union workers.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Ballout was suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Pride festival Saturday night before apparently stabbing others with a machete in what authorities believe was an Islamic extremist terror attack.
    — Geir Moulson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of driving
Adjective
  • In June, incendiary claims emerged from the legal dispute between Ainslie’s Athena Racing team and INEOS, his former financial backer, over the boat built for the last America’s Cup.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Her wild mane of curls and satiny crimson gown added a layer of vivid drama to the performance, accentuating her combo’s incendiary world-jazz sound.
    — Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of incendiary
Verb
  • Multiple schools are at the center of incidents in which teens are facing legal consequences for generating fake explicit images of their classmates.
    — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • The wearables generating circadian scores A growing crop of devices now translates light exposure, temperature, movement and heart-rate data into circadian metrics.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 21 July 2026
Definition of generating

Browse Nearby Words

trigger-happy
triggering
triggerman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Triggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/triggering. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on triggering

Nglish: Translation of triggering for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All