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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of activate
This induces a meditative, parasympathetic state—activating your body’s natural healing processes and reducing cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
—
Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
The company’s advisory has more information on patching and mitigating the threat, including activating the antivirus on the SharePoint Servers.
—PC Magazine, 21 July 2025
The most important question: Was my inner water sign activated after the massage?
—Jihan Forbes, Allure, 21 July 2025
Police said the 12-year-old was in a marked crosswalk and had activated the crossing signal, which stops all traffic on Iliff.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
The company’s advisory has more information on patching and mitigating the threat, including activating the antivirus on the SharePoint Servers.
—PC Magazine, 21 July 2025
The most important question: Was my inner water sign activated after the massage?
—Jihan Forbes, Allure, 21 July 2025
Police said the 12-year-old was in a marked crosswalk and had activated the crossing signal, which stops all traffic on Iliff.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
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Originally, Smith’s bonus would have been triggered if fiscal year 2030 revenue exceeded FY25 revenue by 50%.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
15 July 2025
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Regional emergency declarations are part of a broader trend across the U.S. this summer, as extreme weather has triggered catastrophic flooding in states including Texas and New Mexico.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Verb
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From the iPhone to the Birkin bag, marketing is replete with examples of must have accessories that spark a buying frenzy.—
Anjana Susarla,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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This radical lifestyle shift sparked a DIY renaissance.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 July 2025
Verb
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That in turn drove low wages for workers, high staff turnover and limited capacity for children.—
Rachel Wegner,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
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Generics have higher margins but are vulnerable to pricing shifts and require considerable volume to drive profits.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Every few years, the video game industry invents what many people expect to become the future of play—VR headsets, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and currently, non-player characters (NPCs) powered by large language models (LLMs).—
Ben Kim,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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Hardie™ Designer, powered by Hover®, takes that idea and runs with it, allowing users to experiment with various siding options and, once satisfied, provide a clear vision to their contractors. 6.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Control rods are used to control the speed of the reactions that generate nuclear fission, and in turn nuclear energy.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
26 July 2025
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For example, an account director at an ad agency who feels valued at work is more likely to have a positive experience with a client and generate more compelling work for that client, thus resulting in that client staying with that agency long term.—
Greg Dolan,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Residents of several communities were ordered to move inland to higher ground.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
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These days, the model keeps a low profile and has completely moved away from the limelight.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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