as in triggering
to cause to function
the thermostat is set to activate the heating system only when the temperature drops below 65 degrees
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in energizing
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Recent Examples of activating
David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The stand's design holds the watch on its side, automatically activating Nightstand Mode and turning your watch into a bedside clock.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Bet $5 on Bears-Texans after activating the latest FanDuel promo code offer and get $200 in bonus bets, win or lose.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
This is all thanks to Saturn retrograde and a total lunar eclipse in Pisces, activating your fourth house of home, family and emotional foundations.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
For example, one brain imaging study found that activating opioid receptors in the hypothalamus (often called the control coordinating center of the brain) partially helped with resetting the body’s internal temperature for postmenopausal women.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 3 Sep. 2025
The researchers hypothesized that soft music has a relaxing effect, relieving the tension that makes carsickness worse, and joyful music might serve as distraction, activating the brain's reward systems.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
This is all thanks to Saturn retrograde in Pisces, activating your ninth house of expansion and self-discovery.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Gowder, the constitutional law scholar, said that potentially activating troops to patrol Chicago was way outside of that kind of working relationship.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Otherwise, the sheer magnitude of America’s natural gas resource has enabled drillers to quickly overwhelm temporary spikes in prices by activating a number of additional drillings and driving prices back down with higher production volumes.
—David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The stand's design holds the watch on its side, automatically activating Nightstand Mode and turning your watch into a bedside clock.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Bet $5 on Bears-Texans after activating the latest FanDuel promo code offer and get $200 in bonus bets, win or lose.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
This is all thanks to Saturn retrograde and a total lunar eclipse in Pisces, activating your fourth house of home, family and emotional foundations.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
For example, one brain imaging study found that activating opioid receptors in the hypothalamus (often called the control coordinating center of the brain) partially helped with resetting the body’s internal temperature for postmenopausal women.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 3 Sep. 2025
The researchers hypothesized that soft music has a relaxing effect, relieving the tension that makes carsickness worse, and joyful music might serve as distraction, activating the brain's reward systems.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
This is all thanks to Saturn retrograde in Pisces, activating your ninth house of expansion and self-discovery.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Gowder, the constitutional law scholar, said that potentially activating troops to patrol Chicago was way outside of that kind of working relationship.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activating
Verb
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An anonymous letter was mailed to local police and federal agencies, accusing individuals of gambling and triggering an investigation.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The latest summit was in the works before Pope Francis died in April, triggering the process to elect his successor.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In July, two Russian Gerbera drones -- one of which was carrying more than 4 pounds of explosives -- crossed into Lithuania from Belarus, sparking a national inquest as to the country's readiness to safeguard its airspace.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
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Instead of focusing only on top flyers, AAdvantage surprises mid-level customers with top-tier treatment, sparking aspiration and stronger engagement.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Carrie Bradshaw, frankly, has always been a mess — a beautiful, cringe-inducing, selfish, couture-wearing mess.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Nothing better than putting down the top and driving beautiful roads just after the rain stops and the air is powerfully charged by the nearby ocean, scrubbed clean.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The jury cleared Read of killing O’Keefe, charging her with just drunken driving.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Oracle & Artificial Intelligence All signs point to artificial intelligence as being a transformative tool for businesses and households, generating substantial economic benefits.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Why Healthcare Needs a Data Overhaul Healthcare systems are generating more data than ever before, from electronic health records and lab results to imaging scans, insurance claims, and even patient updates from wearable devices.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pink Light takes the inspiring sports drama genre, where athletes have to overcome obstacles in their sport and personal lives, in a new direction as Browne tackles the worsening debate around trans athletes in the media and political spaces.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cola's inspiring story touched thousands of hearts and, ultimately, led to her adoption.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, this was a galvanizing moment in my relationship with Brian Grazer that ultimately would lead us to launch a company.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Mamdani’s victory in the financial capital of the world was seen as a galvanizing moment for the progressive wing of the party and a sign of an insurgent mood among its base.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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When to go foam-at-the-mouth intense and when to tug on heartstrings with one of her motivational speeches.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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The pair first met during a brief encounter at an awards show in 2012, but didn’t become acquainted until 2019 after the were both booked as speakers at an event in Florida organized by motivational speaker Tony Robbins.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activating. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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