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

In that incident, a runaway truck struck Enbridge’s Line 5 at a valve site, triggering a natural-gas-liquids spill. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Crucially, Kuran and Sunstein’s framework does not require the triggering claim to be false. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 One drone landed in a field, triggering a fire, while the second carried on into Romanian airspace. — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 And in 2019 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared an unusual mortality event, triggering an international investigation. — Ainslie Cruickshank, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026 Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy are speaking out after the 12-person group was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, triggering a mistrial in the high-profile case. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 But Antonelli is set to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid as Mercedes plans to fit his car with a fresh engine, triggering a penalty. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The deal marks the end of Arte Moreno’s turbulent ownership of the Angels, with the news triggering shock followed by celebration among beleaguered fans whose team owns baseball’s longest playoff drought. — Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Those margins raise the prospect that similar language could be inserted into any further budget deals without triggering opposition. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for triggering

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

This has included pumping water from the Sea of Galilee, activating groundwater wells and using national water reserves.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
The Athletic reported on Sunday that Mateta was in dispute with Palace over the final year of his contract, which is set to expire next summer, with Palace activating an option to extend his deal by a further year last December.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of activating

Verb

These are proactive, temporary electricity shutoffs to prevent high-voltage power lines and equipment from sparking wildfires during red flag weather conditions.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
In July, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI announced that its AI agents hacked into the company Hugging Face, sparking concern among cybersecurity experts as well as consumers.

— Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of sparking

Adjective

If Monken creates an offense that’s greatly improved and at least occasionally explosive, maybe the Browns can overachieve.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The complaint filed last week in Southern California is the first legal action since the explosive allegations surrounding Chavez were first reported by the New York Times in March.

— CBS News, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of explosive

Verb

After driving for a touchdown on their opening drive, the Wolverines didn’t score again until Buchanan snagged Underwood’s pass amid a crowd of defenders in the end zone.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Yet too many adults focus on winning and chasing college scholarships, driving up the costs for families and pressure on children to specialize in one sport and succeed.

— Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of driving

Adjective

Earlier Thursday in Munich, several incendiary devices were thrown at a construction site near a building where several companies, including from the defense sector, are located, the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office said.

— Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
For May, a marketplace for monetizing secrets and destroying trust was only one component of a larger machine of institutional destruction, an incendiary device that would melt governments into liquid crypto-anarchy.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of incendiary

Verb

These new pieces strike other satellites and rockets, generating even more debris faster than atmospheric drag can remove it.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
OpenAI's new Astra model is generating a ton of buzz and shining a bullish light on two of the Club's chipmakers, according to Jim Cramer .

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of generating

Browse Nearby Words

trigger-happy

triggering

triggerman

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Triggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/triggering. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of triggering

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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