activates

verb

present tense third-person singular of activate
as in triggers
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

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 activates The geometry of the dome itself regulates ventilation and activates natural air circulation through the stack effect, complemented by floor-level air intake to prevent direct drafts and maintain a consistent microclimate. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 The Recorder page activates the glasses’ voice recorder, which saves the audio recording, a transcript of everything said, and an AI summary. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 The Aries Full Moon activates your career zone, bringing recognition, ambition, or a long-developing goal into clearer view. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026 Retention gets whatever is remaining, usually treated as a customer service function that activates only after something has already gone wrong. — Sena Kwawu, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 One of those earlier findings was that the ectoderm of the early embryo activates two genes, one in the front half of the embryo, one in the back. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 When the thermostat calls for cooling, the PLC activates the actuator, which physically presses the window unit’s power button. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026 Nicotine activates reward pathways in the brain, which can create a temporary sense of pleasure and well-being. — Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 Home asks for adjustments as the temperamental Moon activates your 4th House of Family and Foundations, bringing feelings up around privacy that supports your well‑being. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activates
  1. triggers
  2. sparks
  3. drives
  4. generates
Verb
  • What exactly triggers rapid true polar wander events and how far the poles move during them remains unknown.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Back on Earth, the band remain comatose and their predicament triggers an obscure rule of the underworld known as the Coma Clause, which keeps the Gates of Hell open to them for as long as their bodies remain alive.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggers
Verb
  • Invaders may have finished off some of the great ancient civilizations, but only after they had been weakened by drought, famine, disease, flooding and internal divisions that catastrophe often sparks.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The arrival of Alma, a real estate developer from Madrid who settles in Gazulea with her two daughters, disrupts the community’s life and sparks a conflict between the town’s future and the preservation of its roots.
    — Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sparks
Verb
  • This absence drives Shimoda to unearth historical records like FBI files; to visit Manzanar, the concentration camp his grandfather was sent to in Missouri; and to travel to his grandfather’s ancestral homeland in Japan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Money drives them apart, but that’s what they’re expected to care about.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of drives
Verb
  • Better lineage improves simulation quality, which produces better model behavior, which generates better outcomes and richer feedback, strengthening governance by exposing the gaps previous cycles missed.
    — Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In this configuration, the hydrogen engine generates electrical power rather than driving the propeller shafts directly.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of generates

Browse Nearby Words

activated
activates
activating
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Cite this Entry

“Activates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activates. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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