How to Use activate in a Sentence

activate

verb
Definition of activatenext
Synonyms for activatenext
  • Sunlight activates a chemical reaction in the plant's leaves.
  • Once the tenth house is activated, Harris will be in the spotlight.
    — Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 24 July 2024
  • Residents will activate them with key cards that give access only to their own floor and common areas.
    — Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024
  • This was a smart move for sellers looking to activate previously stagnant stock.
    — Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 22 May 2024
  • That was enough to activate sensory neurons and trigger bladder contractions, the first time this had been done.
    — Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024
  • The team has not yet announced a corresponding move for activating Eflin.
    — Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2024
  • Grayson did not have his body camera turned on during the call and activated it only after firing his gun, Rodgers said.
    — Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
  • There is also a motion sensor that activates a bright white security light when movement is detected.
    — Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2024
  • Key Takeaways Trendy electrolyte gums work by activating salivary glands and making your mouth water.
    — Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 24 July 2024
  • The officer activated his emergency lights and the vehicle pulled to a stop on the right shoulder near the 3.8 mile marker.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2024
  • According to the creator of the Reel, the water activates a polymer that creates a gel-like barrier, ensuring the paint doesn't bleed through.
    — Halee Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 May 2024
  • Centering your seating arrangement with views either toward the house or apartment, or outwards, toward the surrounding views, activates the space and gives guests something to look at.
    — Ariel Okin, Vogue, 18 July 2024
  • Saratoga Spring Water sponsored the gala and also activated with a Spa Veranda during the races.
    — Ana Calderone, Peoplemag, 8 June 2024
  • The kitchen tool can hold 1.7 liters of liquid and is activated with the push of a button.
    — Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2023
  • Wolff then heads to the race track up to six hours before the starting lights activate.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
  • The arms move, the head rotates, and a button on the back of the figure activates the ferocious chomp.
    — Maya Polton, Parents, 7 Nov. 2023
  • Aaron Civale is the only veteran starter still activate and he’s been on the IL four times in the last two years.
    — Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 29 July 2023
  • The cards had their codes scratched off, meaning that if someone had bought and activated one, the amount would have gone to the account of the suspects.
    — Steve Thompson, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023
  • Press into the ground to activate shoulder and chest muscles, engage core, and lift knees about 1 inch off the ground.
    — Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 18 May 2023
  • That, in turn, activates a protein called PAR1, which is located on nerve cells in the skin.
    — Aria Bendix, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
  • Amazon’s Echo Shows have their own special tricks and ways to activate them.
    — Nena Farrell, WIRED, 29 Mar. 2024
  • But the feature first has to be activated by the account holder.
    — Michael Kan, PCMAG, 11 July 2023
  • It was activated on the first day of this year’s conference.
    — Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Dec. 2023
  • Bring the gravy to a boil after adding the slurry to activate its thickening powers.
    — Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Sprinkler systems within barns activate and unglue the manure stuck to the barn floor.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
  • His injury is not known, though he can be activated at any point.
    — Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 15 July 2024
  • The long-armed can even activate the exit sensors with a little bit of stretching.
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 7 Dec. 2023
  • Drug levels increased almost sixfold in the part of the brain activated by the device.
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 12 May 2023
  • Most styles of hand warmer should still activate in extremely cold weather, some just may not last as long.
    — Rena Behar, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2023
  • Jump squats: To get your body moving and your calves pulsating, try jumping squats to activate your core.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 2 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'activate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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