actuating

verb

present participle of actuate
1
as in activating
to cause to function a light actuated by a motion detector the alarm system actuates the door locks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
  1. activating
  2. driving
  3. triggering
  4. moving
  5. sparking
  6. propelling
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
  • Sophie has created a distinctive and original comedy, striking a chord and sparking debate with audiences across the country.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Federal abandonment of kudzu left the plant to spread along the unmanaged margins of the region, sparking exaggerated fears about its unchecked growth.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sparking
Verb
  • 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
  • Thrive’s fingerprints are all over the relatively small number of companies that are rapidly propelling AI forward, moving with more confidence and speed than many people probably want.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of propelling

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actuates
actuating
actuator
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Cite this Entry

“Actuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuating. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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