1
as in activates
to cause to function
a light actuated by a motion detector the alarm system actuates the door locks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drives
to set or keep in motion
hearing depends on sound vibrations that actuate the complex mechanism of that sensory organ, the ear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuates
Verb
-
The moody Moon activates your 3rd House of Chatter while squaring radical Uranus in your 6th House of Sensibility, prompting updates in accordance with shifting timelines.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026 -
Leaning forward demands strength and stability in your core and lower back, while a rowing motion activates your shoulder, arm, and upper back muscles.—
Jenessa Connor,
Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) drives to the paint against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
In our communities, and even in our families, tribalism drives us not merely to disagree with but to despise one another.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ultraviolet light from its host star triggers the creation of sulfur dioxide in the upper atmosphere, and a massive sub-surface magma ocean acts as a buffer, storing and releasing volatile gases over billions of years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Jumping from humid 85-degree tropical air into a cool swimming pool normally triggers a jolt of cold shock.—
Joe Jackson,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Mar. 2026
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After that, the Moon moves from AQUARIUS into PISCES.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Lynette Howell Taylor and CEO Bill Kramer told me in a recent interview that one of their biggest challenges has been crafting the oft-discussed and debated In Memoriam segment, which inevitably sparks an outcry when someone is left out.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
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This appeal to his vanity sparks something ugly in his eye.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Actuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuates. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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