How to Use activate in a Sentence

activate

verb
  • Touch the screen to activate the system.
  • The bomb was activated by remote control.
  • The camera is activated by pushing a button.
  • Sunlight activates a chemical reaction in the plant's leaves.
  • The President has activated the reserves.
  • The hand levers activate the front drum brakes and the single rear disc brake.
    — Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 26 May 2022
  • Clicking on any of the links on this page will activate the offer(s) of your choice.
    — Xl Media, cleveland, 26 Aug. 2022
  • How does that not activate a kind of delight at the back of the cortex?
    — Naaman Zhou, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2022
  • 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 roach’s brain is still needed to activate its muscles and get the cockroach to move.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Ars Technica, 14 Oct. 2022
  • 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
  • The Tigers will activate him before Sunday's game and need to clear a spot on the 26-man roster.
    — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2023
  • At 10 points along the track, songs, phrases, or sounds are activated when the train rolls over them.
    — Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 21 Apr. 2024
  • 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
  • But that wouldn’t fly with our Idea House team, who wanted to activate every square inch of the home.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2024
  • The Dodgers now have until Jan. 6 to activate Bauer or release him.
    — Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
  • Once the tenth house is activated, Harris will be in the spotlight.
    — Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 24 July 2024
  • 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
  • Here’s how to secure your bonus and set up your account: Click ---> here <--- to activate the $150 bonus offer.
    — Xl Media, cleveland, 28 Aug. 2022
  • 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
  • Pair them with a vintage graphic tee and a pair of fresh kicks and simp mode will be activated.
    — Yoora Kim, Seventeen, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Amazon’s Echo Shows have their own special tricks and ways to activate them.
    — Nena Farrell, WIRED, 29 Mar. 2024
  • When their neurons were activated by the light, the mice ate much smaller meals.
    — New Atlas, 16 Feb. 2025
  • Players who activate our DraftKings promo code will get a 30-1 odds boost on the Phillies or Cubs to score a run.
    — Xl Media, cleveland, 20 July 2022
  • Sign up here to activate the DraftKings Ohio promo code.
    — cleveland, 23 Jan. 2023
  • Turning the knob to adjust the volume or press it to activate Broadcast or PTT mode.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024
  • Every morning, guests can watch as the Chronos opens the portals by lining them up and activating them.
    — Samantha Neely, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Opening with a high-speed chase between the police and some rogue programs, cop cars are no match for a light cycle, and one is sliced clean in half once the bike’s iconic light wall is activated.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Apr. 2025

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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