as in provoking
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as in activating
to cause to function
mold triggers my allergies
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Recent Examples of triggering
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Ice could also weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread outages.
—Emilie Megnien, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Missing due dates, triggering interest and fees, maxing out a card or having a high credit utilization ratio can all damage your credit score.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
This would devalue existing bonds, potentially triggering cascading failures at banks and financial institutions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
The game launched all the way back in 2014 and has evolved significantly since then, with major updates overhauling core systems, adding the ability to land on planets, and even triggering an alien invasion.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
There could be parallels to the Giants, whose ownership passed from father to son two decades ago, triggering a decline delayed only because coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning endured for another decade.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
The Heat ripped off a 15-0 run after Hauser’s early buckets and built an early 28-9 lead, triggering two Mazzulla timeouts and a series of Celtics substitutions.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
The process is known to heat the exterior of the returning spacecraft to more than 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,926 degrees Celsius), creating a buildup of plasma and triggering a minutes-long communication blackout.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
That same afternoon, the lawyers allege, a call was made to the state’s central registry, triggering a follow-up by the city’s child welfare agency, the Administration for Children’s Services.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Ice could also weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread outages.
—Emilie Megnien, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Missing due dates, triggering interest and fees, maxing out a card or having a high credit utilization ratio can all damage your credit score.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
This would devalue existing bonds, potentially triggering cascading failures at banks and financial institutions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
The game launched all the way back in 2014 and has evolved significantly since then, with major updates overhauling core systems, adding the ability to land on planets, and even triggering an alien invasion.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
There could be parallels to the Giants, whose ownership passed from father to son two decades ago, triggering a decline delayed only because coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning endured for another decade.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
The Heat ripped off a 15-0 run after Hauser’s early buckets and built an early 28-9 lead, triggering two Mazzulla timeouts and a series of Celtics substitutions.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
The process is known to heat the exterior of the returning spacecraft to more than 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,926 degrees Celsius), creating a buildup of plasma and triggering a minutes-long communication blackout.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for triggering
Adjective
-
The characterizations are complex and thought-provoking, and the descriptions of the natural world put the reader right there.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
-
The 2024 three-part docuseries American Nightmare dives headfirst into several thought-provoking issues, like victim blaming and the glaring inadequacies in the criminal justice system.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There was also the possibility of the Panthers activating interior offensive lineman Chandler Zavala ahead of Saturday’s game.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This is especially significant to consider early in the year when Saturn and Neptune join forces in Aries, activating a part of your chart that governs intimacy, trust and emotional merging.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When the body encounters cedar pollen, the immune system releases a cascade of inflammatory chemicals.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Jan. 2026
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Here, argon-gas electrodes create a gentle current at up to 60 Hz, which helps to reduce the look of active pimples, calm visible redness, and even address the appearance of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The hotter temperatures are sparking changes in precipitation—rainier rains and drier droughts.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The confrontation is sparking a conversation about theater etiquette.—
Kristie Keleshian,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While chatting with Fallon, Sink shared a few thoughts on the explosive finale of Stranger Things—some of which proved to be a little controversial.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
McNeil-Warren is an explosive, rangy defender with sound tackling technique, and a violent finisher.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
According to investigators, the man was driving a Chevrolet Silverado northbound on Kilgore Road when the truck left the roadway, entered a ditch and overturned.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As Bratton noted, unpacking all of this is where a thorough investigation is helpful and incendiary rhetoric from the highest political office in the country is not.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Progressives have long argued — often rightly — that incendiary rhetoric from public officials can legitimize harassment, intimidation, and violence.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Researchers revealed that the high-voltage output facilitates the neutralization and collection of dust and moisture by generating negative ions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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Zari Taylor, a digital culture fellow at New York University, describes vagueposting as using extremely ambiguous language for the sake of click bait or generating controversy.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Triggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/triggering. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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