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
At issue is whether drones or cruise missiles could be hidden in shipping containers aboard these vessels, activated remotely or after offloading, and used in a preemptive strike.
—
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
The Premier League champions activated his €35million (£29.6m; $40m) release clause, and the fee will be paid in three instalments over three years.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 2 June 2025
While activating your eighth house of joint ventures and emotional bonds, consider what needs to be reworked or improved in your personal life and relationship investments.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 June 2025
Breathing in and sighing out slowly for longer than your in breath with an open mouth can activate the vagus nerve, a crucial component of the parasympathetic nervous system.
—Paul McClure 24, New Atlas, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
The Premier League champions activated his €35million (£29.6m; $40m) release clause, and the fee will be paid in three instalments over three years.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 2 June 2025
While activating your eighth house of joint ventures and emotional bonds, consider what needs to be reworked or improved in your personal life and relationship investments.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 June 2025
Breathing in and sighing out slowly for longer than your in breath with an open mouth can activate the vagus nerve, a crucial component of the parasympathetic nervous system.
—Paul McClure 24, New Atlas, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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While no breakthroughs were predicted or expected, the leaders reached a consensus in several areas to increase currency stability, restore growth without triggering new inflation, and reduce trade barriers.—
Robert Hormats,
Time,
10 June 2025
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His tweets and public statements have frequently triggered substantial price surges, establishing a direct correlation between his pronouncements and market performance.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
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The 20-month war with Hamas has raged on even as Israel has opened a new front with heavy strikes on Iran that sparked retaliatory drone and missile attacks.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
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What originally sparked my interest was just drawing some patterns, making some artworks, and eventually that's transformed into a full collection.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Verb
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Goldstein drove Boozer home with a sacrifice fly and Corral plated the go-ahead run with a single through the right side.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2025
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And two-thirds of households with an EV have another non-EV that is driven more — hardly a recipe for climate success given that EVs must be driven (a lot) to deliver climate benefits.—
Ashley Nunes,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2025
Verb
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This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Google Cloud plays a massive role in powering the web.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images While states have used health-care provider taxes to generate funding for Medicaid, the House proposal would put a stop to using those levies in the future, Orris said.—
Greg Iacurci,Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
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Infrastructure leaders need to be able to calculate the cloud cost to understand the gross profit generated by a sale.—
Sergey Avdyushkin,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
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Some of its missiles have a range of more than 300 miles and can strike a moving ship.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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