actuated

verb

past tense of actuate
1
as in activated
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 moved
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 actuated Review website RTINGs tested 14 keyboards with adjustable actuation from 11 brands and found that, on each keyboard, the keys actuated at a different distance than the one set in the companion app. — ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of laymen, actuated solely by idle curiosity, received little more than a crick in the neck for their pains. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Each of the twenty-four flutes was actuated with a pair of wooden lips capable of the subtle modulation achieved with a human mouth. — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 But every function is going to be electronically actuated, every display is simulated on a screen … just like every Honda and Hyundai. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 3 June 2026 Each is separately spring-loaded, depressing four millimeters at most (though they can be actuated with as little as two millimeters of travel) before bouncing back with a confirming click. — Literary Hub, 19 May 2026 The two chambers of the soft, pneumatic finger are actuated manually, using two large syringes filled with air. — IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuated
  1. activated
  2. moved
  3. triggered
  4. drove
  5. sparked
  6. propelled
  7. impelled
Verb
  • The heavy rainfall activated the desert’s biological material, known as germplasm — seeds, bulbs and tubers but also the eggs of various invertebrates and reptiles.
    — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Officials said they will only be activated when a vehicle is traveling 11 miles or more over the speed limit.
    — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of activated
Verb
  • This week, SpaceX moved one step closer to its goal of building its direct-to-device Starlink Mobile service after the FCC approved the aerospace company’s application to deploy and operate 15,000 next-generation Starlink satellites.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • On the day Erica and Peter moved into 150 Charles, their attorney claims, they were greeted with a cluttered and dirty space that didn’t square with the $26,000-a-month rent.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • The attack has caused huge disruption to air travel and triggered a wave of cancellations for events taking place in the Saudi capital this week, with the World Petroleum Congress this week most directly impacted.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The crisis was triggered when about 80,000 people poured into the Spanish exclave in late July from neighboring Morocco, driven by rumors online that Spain had opened its border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggered
Verb
  • Although robust buyer demand briefly drove yields down to session lows following the auction, yield levels above 5% remain substantially higher than the historical norm over the past decade.
    — , CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The suit says Her displayed doctored, sexualized photos of Henry and other officers, including in Henry's own office, and drove unannounced to a golf simulator in Woodbury where Henry was spending personal time.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of drove
Verb
  • Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed over 74,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip according to local health authorities, left the territory in ruins and sparked an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Like Zuckerberg, Huang has argued against an industry-wide slowdown, saying the recent spike in safety concerns sparked by AI agents going rogue and hacking into other companies is just an engineering problem that needs to be solved.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparked
Verb
  • Six years later, the Cougars upset top-ranked and reigning national champion Miami 28-21 in a game that propelled Ty Detmer to the Heisman Trophy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Her album spent 11 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and, for the first time, propelled the artist to Number One on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
    — Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of propelled
Verb
  • Some fifteen years later, her determination to study Schubert lieder with expert teachers was in large part what impelled her to go to Europe.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Despite the challenges, many candidates are impelled by the desire to steer political discourse toward civility and issues that matter most to ordinary citizens.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of impelled

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actuated
actuates
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Cite this Entry

“Actuated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuated. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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