ACTUATING Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

actuating

verb

present participle of actuate

as in activating

to cause to function a light actuated by a motion detector the alarm system actuates the door locks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in driving

to set or keep in motion hearing depends on sound vibrations that actuate the complex mechanism of that sensory organ, the ear

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 actuating Creating such complex structures combining soft and rigid features and actuating them with artificial muscles would further our understanding of natural kinematic structures. — IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2026 Dynamic soft robots To create OCTOID’s modular actuating legs, researchers fabricated active (AL) and passive layers (PL) from cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) using a bottom-up self-assembly of reactive mesogens, crosslinkers, and chain extenders. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuating

Verb

The Athletic reported on Sunday that Mateta was in dispute with Palace over the final year of his contract, which is set to expire next summer, with Palace activating an option to extend his deal by a further year last December.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
That means enterprising Quest owners should be able to sideload apps without needing to register for a Meta Developer account and activating Developer Mode through Meta’s mobile app.

— Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of activating

Verb

Economists can debate whether a top-15 economy should morph itself into a giant leveraged bet on the AI trade, one now driving growth to new highs rather than simply riding alongside it.

— William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Still, several financial analysts have concluded that the prediction frenzy, with its sleek mobile apps and easy-to-understand odds, are driving the stock drops.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

Driven by artificial intelligence demand, memory chips are in short supply, pushing prices steadily higher and triggering explosive profit growth for Micron.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Officials are still investigating the exact cause, though preliminary assessments suggest an ice avalanche may have blocked a river upstream in Tibet, triggering the sudden outburst flood.

— Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of triggering

Verb

Instead of simply moving the body without the patient’s involvement, HAL responds to the person’s own intention to move.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Others are already moving confidently through modern cities, studying, working and shaping lives increasingly separate from traditional expectations.

— PhotoVogue, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of moving

Verb

Asia’s rapid data center buildout is sparking local pushback, as governments’ urge to capture value in the AI investment boom runs into constituents’ environmental and health concerns.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Three baby goats at a North Carolina petting zoo tested positive for rabies, sparking a statewide search for people who interacted with the animals.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of sparking

Verb

This sexy thriller got mixed reviews on its release but became a pretty big hit anyway, propelling its stars higher and even launching a franchise.

— Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
While the rocket’s first stage — the booster used for liftoff — returned to Earth, its second, or upper, stage continued propelling the robotic landers on their path to the moon.

— Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of propelling

Browse Nearby Words

actuates

actuating

actuator

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Actuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuating. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of actuating

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes