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
  • Two letters redirect actions MuTRAP is a backdoor attack, also known as a Trojan attack, in which malicious behavior is embedded in a model and activated only when a specific trigger appears.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Officers then activated their emergency lights and pulled over Licona Amador's truck, prosecutors said.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of activated
Verb
  • Deloitte found only 25% of organizations have moved 40% or more of their AI pilots into production.
    — Chris Koehler, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Trees fell onto homes and utility poles were knocked down by a possible tornado in a central Arizona community during a series of violent storms that moved through the state overnight into Thursday.
    — Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • The attacks, which saw 1,195 people killed and 251 taken into Gaza as hostages, triggered a major security crisis that led to three years of war on multiple fronts.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • More recently, inflation triggered by the Iran war has increased energy and food prices across the country in 2026.
    — Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggered
Verb
  • The homeowner didn’t charge him rent, and the truck Buchanan drove was a gift, the woman told agents.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • An Australian data center operator’s profit warning drove its stock down as much as 44%, while dozens of large facilities have been blocked or delayed in the US this year by opposition from locals.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of drove
Verb
  • The deputy pointed to Les Républicains leader and presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, who was interior minister in 2023 when police shot a teenager of Algerian-Moroccan descent and sparked nationwide protests.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The couple first sparked romance rumors in November 2025 after they were photographed together in New York City.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparked
Verb
  • This idea, also fueled by the president’s unproven assertion that the 2020 election was stolen from him, has propelled numerous efforts to require proof of citizenship or identity at the polls or when registering to vote.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The same forces that propelled me to write to him were also what drew me to Latin American literature.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 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
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Cite this Entry

“Actuated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuated. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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