triggering 1 of 2

adjective

as in provoking

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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
Both were booked Wednesday, triggering one-game suspensions that will keep them out of one of the club’s biggest matches of the season. — Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 23 July 2026 Peptides are the building blocks of more complex proteins, triggering hormones inside the body needed for growth, metabolism and healing. — Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 23 July 2026 Demand changes stop living in spreadsheets and start triggering real conversations about supplier capacity, open orders and what can realistically be moved. — Seema Phull, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Mitochondria also play central roles in detecting and reacting to stress, and even in triggering cells to self-destruct if damage is deemed too great. — Rachel Nuwer, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2026 Smoke causes inflammation by triggering the body’s immune system to go into overtime to fight the irritant. — Seth Borenstein, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 Company founder Elon Musk later posted on X that some of the 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy did not light triggering the automatic launch abort. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026 They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain. — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast, triggering air quality alerts and turning skies hazy from Chicago to New York City. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 16 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
  • The second exercise is a double-leg glute bridge and hold, which focuses on activating those hamstrings and glutes — both essential muscles in supporting acceleration and top speed.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Those launches were successful, but ground teams ran into problems activating and commissioning satellites made by York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Definition of activating
Adjective
  • Still's disease, a rare type of inflammatory arthritis that can cause rashes, debilitating pain, and fevers.
    — Rachana Pradhan, NPR, 20 July 2026
  • Reducing visceral fat can slow the release of inflammatory compounds, which may reduce chronic inflammation linked to a number of diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
    — Jillian Kubala, Health, 19 July 2026
Definition of inflammatory
Verb
  • Mike McDaniel is the new offensive coordinator, sparking excitement for Johnston to build off his flashes from last season.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • This follows June and July reports that COSR lacked the finances, sparking American fans' hopes for Chiles to reclaim the medal.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of sparking
Adjective
  • Those penalties significantly hampered an offense that failed to generate explosive plays.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Cyclosporiasis symptoms, including explosive diarrhea, can last for weeks or months and may lead to nutrient malabsorption if left untreated.
    — Amber Raiken, Verywell Health, 23 July 2026
Definition of explosive
Verb
  • The war with Iran and renewed closure of the strait aren’t the only factors driving prices higher.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • For Åkerfeldt, there were two competing philosophies driving the band’s music.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 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
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Cite this Entry

“Triggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/triggering. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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