as in stimulus
something that arouses action or activity
Her expulsion from the university proved to be a catalyst for needed change.
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Recent Examples of catalyst
The outside world, meanwhile, is about to boil over with its myriad lockdown frustrations, and, in a very bold gambit, Aster uses the real-life killing of George Floyd as the catalyst that brings bitter chaos to the middle of nowhere.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2025
The program has been the catalyst for more than $6 million in educational scholarships since its debut in 2009.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 14 May 2025
Fabio Adami Dalla Val: From our perspective, the role of a B2B denim trade show in 2025 is to serve as a strategic hub for the industry, going beyond the mere exhibition of products to become a business catalyst, a product innovation lab and a cultural platform.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 13 May 2025
The 27-track project has also been huge catalyst for the recent spotlight on Black country artists and the genre's roots.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2025
The program has been the catalyst for more than $6 million in educational scholarships since its debut in 2009.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 14 May 2025
Fabio Adami Dalla Val: From our perspective, the role of a B2B denim trade show in 2025 is to serve as a strategic hub for the industry, going beyond the mere exhibition of products to become a business catalyst, a product innovation lab and a cultural platform.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 13 May 2025
The 27-track project has also been huge catalyst for the recent spotlight on Black country artists and the genre's roots.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for catalyst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catalyst
Noun
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The recordings revealed that AWB and ASH, two neurons that are responsible for making sense of olfactory stimuli, were activated when the corpses and fluids were present, indicating that the worms were smelling the signature of death.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
23 May 2025
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When we get stung by a wasp, the association between pain and wasps is encoded in the region of the brain called the amygdala, which connects simple stimuli with basic emotions.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
McDowell further explained that the white streak was caused by the fuel dump from the upper stage at about 155 miles (250 kilometers) altitude.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
19 May 2025
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Gaza is in the third month of an Israeli blockade with no food, water, fuel or other goods entering the territory of more than 2 million people.—
IBRAHIM HAZBOUN,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Jobs emerged in an era when the cost of coordination was high and the tools for distributing tasks were limited.—
John Winsor,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
-
There’s no one tool that’s gonna work for the duration.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
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In a prior study, Herz describes how different senses (smell, sight and sound) trigger memories and emotions.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
This small kitchen appliance has a variable speed trigger switch to make blending, pureeing, frothing, whipping and chopping as easy as pressing a button.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
The department confirmed no foul play is suspected, and his cause of death is under investigation by the coroner's office.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
21 May 2025
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People who believe in a supernatural cause for AGI are bound to ask life-changing questions of AGI and take the responses as a form of absolute truth.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
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These measures would fortify the collective power and deterrence of the United States’ alliances far beyond what is possible under today’s informal mechanisms.—
ELY RATNER,
Foreign Affairs,
27 May 2025
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Aid is now beginning to be distributed under a contentious U.S.-Israeli mechanism.—
Philissa Cramer,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Noun
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And that is the impetus for a Wyldwood setup that will encourage cast and crew to keep their own family units intact during productions — not exactly the norm in the industry.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
22 May 2025
-
Political developments are a big impetus for the changes.—
Larry Light,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
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Further defeat in the coming elections could threaten his coalition’s rule and spark calls for a new leader.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
21 May 2025
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Placing items like paperclips inside a Chromebook's USB port can cause the laptop to short-circuit, generating heat, sparks, and smoke.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catalyst. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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