as in to trigger
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 activate
On Wednesday, when Yoshida was activated, Rafaela was the odd man out.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow will be activated from the injured list and start Wednesday’s game.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 9 July 2025
Meanwhile, in suburban Cook County, three courthouses — in Skokie, Maywood and Markham — were activated as 24/7 cooling centers from June 21 to June 24 in response to the heat advisory.
—Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
It’s been a couple of years since Google and Jamestown activated a stretch of downtown San Jose near SAP Center with its Creekside Socials, block parties with music, art and food trucks.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow will be activated from the injured list and start Wednesday’s game.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 9 July 2025
Meanwhile, in suburban Cook County, three courthouses — in Skokie, Maywood and Markham — were activated as 24/7 cooling centers from June 21 to June 24 in response to the heat advisory.
—Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
It’s been a couple of years since Google and Jamestown activated a stretch of downtown San Jose near SAP Center with its Creekside Socials, block parties with music, art and food trucks.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for activate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for activate
Verb
-
The first red flag of the session was triggered after Oliver Bearman lost some of the bodywork of his Haas.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
-
That, in turn, will trigger a future automatic benefit cut of 24% to all recipients, the centrist think tank projects.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
The wildfire is believed to be sparked by human activity, but the precise event responsible for it has yet to be identified.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
-
The program currently supports 60,000 students in 57 counties, offering a great example of state leadership sparking local impact.—
Matt Gandal,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
At its core, greed drives their pursuit of wealth and power.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
-
The incident, which occurred in June, is part of a growing trend of scams -- some of them driven by artificial intelligence -- targeting government officials and their staff through impersonation schemes.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Step into the rhythm of the day with ESSENCE PRESENTS: THE COLLECTIVE SET—an immersive sonic experience powered by today’s most exciting DJ crews and music collectives.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 July 2025
-
Mercedes power units power the British team — giving the team hope for the coming seasons.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
If there was any day to generate offense, the Royals needed it Saturday at Kauffman Stadium.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 July 2025
-
So far, the Apple film has generated $136 million in North America and more than $393 million worldwide.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
-
That he was moved by Gi-hun and now wants to give her closure and the money her father fairly won?—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Activate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/activate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share