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

Relevance

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 agency rejected the recommendation, saying that using cameras that automatically activate when an officer pulls their weapon or activates a car siren could risk privacy concerns. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 And a few are very highly specific, such as the protease that activates insulin, which only cuts near a very specific series of amino acids. — ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 The left earbud activates transparency with a single tap, returns to the previous track with a double tap, and lowers the volume with a tap-and-hold. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026 Our body releases hormones and activates heat shock proteins that protect our cells. — Will Stone, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 Simple heel-to-toe walking activates the calves, Stoughton said. — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activates
  1. triggers
  2. sparks
  3. drives
  4. generates
Verb
  • Eating triggers saliva production, but a stone can keep the saliva from draining, causing the gland to swell.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Before enrollment, people volunteering for the study would be screened for early signs of cancer because TB-4 triggers vessel growth and cell migration, which might exacerbate malignant growths.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggers
Verb
  • Nothing sparks joy and jumpstarts the Christmas season like a food advent calendar.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This one, steeped in milk and cream, sparks off the roof of your mouth with a gentle chile burn and the pleasantly numbing zap of cloves.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparks
Verb
  • The ability for employees to find the best opportunities for themselves and for employers to find the best candidates for the job help to drive innovation, which drives productivity, which drives growth, Richardson has said.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Oscar drives her home and, paralyzed by the situation, leaves her unconscious at her family’s door.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of drives
Verb
  • Haider and colleagues, reviewing hair transplant tourism for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2025, estimated that the Turkish market alone generates around one billion US dollars a year.
    — William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Radialc ontent generates approximately 5 billion streaming hours annually.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of generates

Browse Nearby Words

activated
activates
activating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Activates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activates. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All