as in to trigger
to cause to function
the thermostat is set to activate the heating system only when the temperature drops below 65 degrees
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of activate
Simply attach it to a car seat or stroller, so little hands can pull on it to activate the Purple Monkey Song.
—
Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
When those drills had activated on the day of the blast, one of their motors had created a spark.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Calculate your target income, package your services, structure your client portfolio, create your professional presence, and activate your network.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Leave a comment View Comments During her residency, Ernst created a new design for the library’s display window, a gold and blush Phoenix gown with feathers that rise and fall, activated by passersby who place their hands up to a panel on the window.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
When those drills had activated on the day of the blast, one of their motors had created a spark.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Calculate your target income, package your services, structure your client portfolio, create your professional presence, and activate your network.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Leave a comment View Comments During her residency, Ernst created a new design for the library’s display window, a gold and blush Phoenix gown with feathers that rise and fall, activated by passersby who place their hands up to a panel on the window.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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The question is what might be triggering the response in some patients but not others.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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But there are also a few tells that the View is a place catering to locals—or, at least, a place where locals might not have their anti-touristic allergies triggered.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
18 May 2025
Verb
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The situation sparked some debate about whether Ulbrich, in his second stint with Atlanta, would be dismissed from his job.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2025
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Concerns about the fiscal situation sparked a market sell-off on Wednesday.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Verb
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During my visit, Leal and I drove in his vintage Jeep to 1900 Barker, a coffee shop on Lawrence’s main drag.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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Much of the innovation that drives societal progress and economic productivity does not emerge from revolutions in thought, but from the subtle extension and application of existing knowledge.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Verb
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This project aims to integrate AI deeply into urban infrastructure, transforming cities such as Taipei into smart ecosystems powered by advanced computing.—
Shannon Carroll,
Quartz,
19 May 2025
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The facility receives 150 megawatts from the local public utility Memphis Light, Gas and Water — enough to power around 100,000 homes.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Verb
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In a country where the two dominant parties agree on scarcely anything, the collective exasperation with Musk generated unusual consensus.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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That research also generated more than $94.5 billion in new economic activity nationwide, according to United for Medical Research, a coalition of research groups and advocates.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
26 May 2025
Verb
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If the execution moves forward this time, Smith will be the first inmate executed in Tennessee since 2020 and the 19th in the U.S. this year.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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By all accounts, seeing the interior of the home is a moving experience.—
Maurice Carlos Ruffin,
Time,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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