as in to stimulate
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
Mr. Clark animates history for his sixth graders by frequently showing up for class dressed like some famous historical figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in animated
having much high-spirited energy and movement
an animate dance routine that will really get the blood pumping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in breathing
having or showing life
had a dream about a sandwich that becomes animate
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 animate
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
At Faena New York, that spirit animates the property, with installations, performances, and events that turn its New York building into a living gallery.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025
Political violence in the late summer and early fall, along with a government shutdown that began Oct. 1 also appeared to animate voters in the final days of the campaign.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animate
Verb
That anything-for-a-laugh ethos is not a flaw in his canon but its animating principle.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
At Faena New York, that spirit animates the property, with installations, performances, and events that turn its New York building into a living gallery.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
From lanterns several stories tall and hundreds of feet long to interactive exhibits that animate and breathe fire (in the form of smoke, Lewis clarifies), the festival evokes a deep sense of awe.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025
Political violence in the late summer and early fall, along with a government shutdown that began Oct. 1 also appeared to animate voters in the final days of the campaign.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animate
Verb
-
Then, they are manually placed on Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs), a grid of tiny electrodes on a biocompatible substrate chip that records and stimulates neurons using 32 electrodes grouped into four sets of eight.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
-
To wit, lymphatic brushes join the ranks of depuffing tools like gua shas, face rollers, and dry brushes; most working to stimulate lymphatic drainage, your body’s natural detoxification process.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During the trial, many of Cardi's impassioned exchanges with the Janfaza went viral due to her unfiltered, expletive-laced responses and animated expressions, including eye rolls and shrugs.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Tang joined Adult Swim in 2012 and contributed to the development of numerous live‑action and animated originals including Joe Pera Talks with You, Royal Crackers, The Eric Andre Show, and the WGA Award-winning Three Busy Debras.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Where there would once be huge lively crowds gathering in support of Hong Kong’s democracy figures, the mood was subdued and yet at the same time on edge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
And lively neighborhoods like Myeongdong and Hongdae are hot spots for shopping, local street food, K-pop culture, and nightlife.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago were able to keep a critically ill patient alive for 48 hours after removing both of his lungs, the hospital reported last week.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At halftime, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny delivered an energetic performance featuring his biggest hits, powerful imagery and theatrical nods to songs and symbols from throughout his Spanish-language catalog.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The goal of the PUEO mission was to detect radio signals created when highly energetic neutrinos rain down onto the ice.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Gerrit Cole’s 153 wins are the most by any active pitcher 35 or younger.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Corvus Robotics says the system can operate during active warehouse shifts without disrupting workflows.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Animate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animate. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
