SPARK Synonyms: 268 Similar and Opposite Words

spark 1 of 2

verb

Definition of spark

as in to sparkle

to give off sparks the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spark

2 of 2

noun

ˈspärk

as in glimmer

a very small amount not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs

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 spark

Verb

The Tar Heels are without defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and are leaning on a journeyman at quarterback to try and spark an offense that was among the worst among Power Four conference teams last season. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 Good Good Golf faces mounting backlash for a controversial online video ad that sparked accusations of sexism. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

The scenes that generate the most sparks tend to be those between Murdoch and Lamb, becoming more adversarial when the editor starts operating by his own rules. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Both moved into the starting lineup late in their freshman seasons and provided a spark in victories over Washington and Illinois last year. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spark

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spark

Verb

We are desired and judged, we are measured by the thickness of our thighs, size of our chests, sparkle in our grin.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Underneath a sparkling 64-arm crystal chandelier, the two tallied long rallies with Osaka ultimately taking the win.

— Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of sparkle

Verb

Near-death experiences are frequently triggered by a life-threatening event, such as cardiac arrest, traumatic brain injury or a car accident.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
This triggered a realignment within the gaming industry, and put them at odds with Nevada regulators, too.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of trigger

Verb

By the mid-nineteenth century, the it-narrative began to interest authors invested less in provoking excitement than in guiding the moral development of their readers.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Ukraine’s recent strikes into Russia also have exposed weaknesses in Russia’s air defenses, which could prompt Putin to think twice about provoking a retaliatory attack.

— Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of provoke

Noun

The polls offer a glimmer of hope for Democrats and their voters, who hope that the party can shrink the Republican majority in Congress – or capture it – this midterm season.

— Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
While more muted in color than her later looks, the outfit shows an early glimmer of her future full-on sparkle.

— Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of glimmer

Verb

Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The best body scrubs are a cheat code to achieving healthy, glowing skin fast.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of glow

Verb

Guided Vision will be available in the system Accessibility shortcuts and can also be activated from the TalkBack menu.

— Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
China has activated the third generating unit at the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station in Sichuan Province, bringing all three units in the first phase into operation.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of activate

Verb

By taking stem cells from a host’s own body and encouraging them to differentiate before mixing them with a commercially available, soluble matrix gel, researchers may have cracked the most critical problems in the transplant process.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
The bark can also be stripped from the branch, called girdling, which encourages faster root growth.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of encourage

Noun

This was far from Towns’ first public splash in the sports card space.

— Larry Holder, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The splash screen that appears when loading up Orbitals, showing Shapefarm and publisher Kepler Interactive’s logos, is soaked in retro-futuristic bright neon like Apple’s back in the 80s.

— George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of splash

Browse Nearby Words

sparingly

spark

sparked

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Spark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spark. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spark

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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