TRIGGERING Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

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

And using a large portion of cash savings or pulling money from a retirement account to eliminate that mortgage could create other problems, including reducing liquidity or potentially triggering a sizable tax bill. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Extra chaos Then Alex Albon’s Williams suffered a gearbox failure on lap 43, triggering a virtual safety car. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026 Dove notes that perimenopause often brings mood swings and anxiety that elevate cortisol, triggering more apocrine sweating, the kind tied to emotional rather than thermal response. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 As levels drop, the body becomes less efficient at cooling itself, triggering more frequent hot flashes and sweating that mixes with skin bacteria to produce stronger or unfamiliar smells. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The crash was the first time an autonomous vehicle with no safety driver was involved in a fatal incident, triggering news reports and safety concerns, even though the Waymo wasn’t responsible. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Markets remained on edge with higher oil prices and Treasury yields weighing on investor sentiment and triggering fears of additional interest rate hikes. — CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026 But the Hazelwood case suggests that development can occur without triggering the kinds of displacement pressure typically associated with gentrification. — Ira Goldstein, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 The country must therefore eliminate schemes, such as a kickback scheme at the state nuclear operator exposed in November 2025, that are unrelated to defense spending but capable of triggering major corruption scandals. — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for triggering

Adjective

Read Cep’s Profile of Kingsolver » Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
The proper pose is a strict neutrality — neither agreeing nor provoking — simply seeking the first opportunity to disengage.

— Judith Martin, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of provoking

Verb

Hawaii officials had told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Given Serra’s representation of Shift, the work is both an object in time and a device for activating time as a correlative of space.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of activating

Adjective

Shaving, friction from clothing, ingrown hairs, and even certain deodorants can cause low-grade inflammation, which may lead to excess pigment known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).

— Glamour, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026
Disrupting plaque all day, not just morning and night, lowers the inflammatory load dentists tie to systemic disease.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of inflammatory

Verb

Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attacked refineries from Moscow to Siberia, sparking a widespread fuel crisis in Russia earlier this year that forced authorities to restrict gasoline sales.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
The moves are sparking concern on both sides of the Atlantic, while stock markets continue to watch uneasily.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of sparking

Adjective

Instead of striking the target with an explosive warhead, the laser transfers energy into the target’s surface.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
In December 2024, Ellaboudy took sick leave from his employment because he was exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, which is used to make explosive materials.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of explosive

Verb

In the employer market, more recent data suggest the volumes of prescriptions — which are proprietary — are driving up spending more than prices, although prices are still a factor.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
When the Vikings regained possession Minnesota gobbled up the clock, driving the ball to the 2-yard line before ending the game with the victory formation.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Adjective

Before the streamer Hasan Piker was making headlines ahead of the Michigan Democratic Senate primary last month for his incendiary remarks, the British government barred him from entering the country to take part in a debate at the Oxford Union.

— Roger Friedlander, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
Nearly a decade on, the incendiary take that launched a thousand reservations remains well-warranted.

— Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of incendiary

Verb

The travel retail channel, generating $76 billion overall, is always on the front line of world events.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
When the third act slows down to dramatize the hours of Altman’s ouster from OpenAI, Guadagnino has almost no way of generating the sort of ice-blooded intrigue that runs in Fincher’s veins.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of generating

Browse Nearby Words

trigger-happy

triggering

triggerman

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Style

“Triggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/triggering. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of triggering

adjective

verb

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