1
as in to sparkle
to give off sparks
the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in
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2
as in to trigger
to cause to function
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glimmer
a very small amount
not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spark
Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 2 June 2025
This aggressive approach, which includes dismissing court cases to facilitate detention, has sparked outrage, especially after reports emerged of children being restrained with zip ties during courthouse detentions.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Shohei Ohtani provided an early spark, hitting a leadoff home run for the second straight game to take the MLB lead with 19 long balls.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Verb
Then on April 2, President Trump rolled out his expansive global trade tariffs, shocking the stock and bond markets and sparking fears of a recession.
—Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 2 June 2025
This aggressive approach, which includes dismissing court cases to facilitate detention, has sparked outrage, especially after reports emerged of children being restrained with zip ties during courthouse detentions.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Noun
Bringing back a fan favorite in Hoskins is a move that makes all the sense in the world for the Phillies to provide a spark in the lineup.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Shohei Ohtani provided an early spark, hitting a leadoff home run for the second straight game to take the MLB lead with 19 long balls.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spark
Verb
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Instead, try drinking sparkling water and eating more fish and whole grains.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2025
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The former just sparkled on the cover of Sports Illustrated in a glittering green two-piece set that looks like this one from Amazon.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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That passage marked the start of more frequent financial warnings from Dimon, including worries of a recession — which didn’t happen until the 2020 pandemic triggered a two-month contraction — as well as concerns around market meltdowns and the ballooning U.S. deficit.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
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That's why the spectacular cruelty with which the cuts were carried out tanked Musk's personal brand and triggered Trump's inexorable decline in approval.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Negotiating with someone who is trying to provoke you is their tactic.—
John Baldoni,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Daily life in the villa is punctuated by games and challenges, designed to reveal secrets, provoke drama and test the strength of relationships.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Sinner gave him almost no chances, but there was a glimmer of light in the 10th game, when Djokovic had four chances to break Sinner’s serve.—
Jerome Pugmire,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
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The shoes and matching Bon Bon bag added a splash of color and glimmer to the look.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
2 June 2025
Verb
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When reached by Vulture to comment on the apparent reference to her case, Carroll had only glowing words about her attorney.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
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Saturn will glow in the sky to the right, and the sparkly Pleiades star cluster will be visible just to the pair’s left.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
2 June 2025
Verb
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In other words, for reasons still not fully understood, the robot’s yawn may have activated a biological response in the chimpanzees that led them to associate the gesture with sleep or rest.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
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None of them had their body cameras activated, a violation of department policy.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Musk, who spent almost $300 million on last year’s election, had also encouraged the primarying of lawmakers who voted for it.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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Overall, the diet encourages people to eat whole foods that are low in salicylates.—
Patty Weasler,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Walls were observed with food splash and debris throughout the kitchen area, especially in hard to reach areas, such as behind and below equipment.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
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Vulcan’s most high-visibility splash in the pickleball world was their 2024 agreement with the UPA to become the official ball of both the PPA and MLP, a contract reportedly worth more than $2M annually and which instantly created a market for their VPro flight ball.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spark. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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