as in activates
to cause to function
mold triggers my allergies
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Recent Examples of triggers
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The big risk as things stand is that an adversary misreads his mixed signals, oversteps, and triggers an escalation nobody wants.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
With his target being a former comrade-in-arms, this triggers a moral dilemma, calling into question all that was fought for.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
For people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
During the certification process, members of Congress have the opportunity to object to a state’s results, which triggers debate and then a vote about whether the objection is to be upheld.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Rocky uses a lighter, which triggers his escape from police custody.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Key Takeaways Short-term, alcohol slows brain processing, triggers the reward system, reduces stress and pain, impairs spatial thinking, and can cause memory lapses or blackouts.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 6 Nov. 2025
Late changes after proto review or post–assortment lock (because of a market signal or someone just changed their mind) triggers rework.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
If a situation escalates, pressing and holding the SOS button triggers a full safety sequence.
—Noun
Binary triggers allow a semiautomatic weapon to fire both when the trigger is pulled and released, increasing its rate of fire.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for triggers
Verb
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When the steering wheel is retracted, the vehicle activates a passenger airbag integrated into the instrument panel.—
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Beginning with a spark early in the year, as a solar eclipse in Aquarius activates your romantic and creative side, don’t be surprised if love feels playful again, as this new beginning encourages flirtation, spontaneity and intellectual expression.—
Noun
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By this decade, your body has started to naturally lose muscle mass, and putting on new muscle may be more difficult due to anabolic resistance, which blunts the muscle’s ability to respond to external stimuli like exercise and protein.—
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Word games, information sleuthing, instructional videos, and even just chatting with friends can provide positive stimuli.—
Noun
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The massive night for Democrats raised alarms among Republicans, who rode concerns about the economy to victory in 2024 and may be on the other side of that dynamic in 2026.—
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Republicans argue that neutrality was compromised years earlier, and by the very officials raising alarms today.—
Verb
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Decades later, that nostalgia still sparks a familiar question – what ever happened to the stars who made Petticoat Junction so unforgettable?—
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Think heirloom pieces, personal artwork, family photos, and anything else that sparks feelings of love and joy.—
Noun
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The mechanism eliminates the need for corrosive reagents or external catalysts.—
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Moderna’s second-generation Covid vaccine, approved in 2025, alongside its new flu vaccine regulatory filings could provide additional catalysts for the stock.—
Verb
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When the temperature drops below 32 degrees and a glowing snowflake on the dashboard warns of icy roads, my car practically drives itself to Lighthouse Tofu in Annandale.—
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Those near misses helped extend Ole Miss drives at times.—
Noun
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Do not use generators or grills inside.—
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The only person on shift who knew the evacuation procedures was the building and safety manager, who was also handling generators, hoses, and building security.—
Noun
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Kansas and Missouri have spent the past 18 months trying to secure the team through sweeping stadium-funding incentives packages — which the Chiefs used last month to announce their intentions for a move to Kansas.—
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The country is largely focused on a self-sufficiency drive to build up its chipmaking capabilities, a push that’s included readying a new round of incentives of as much as $70 billion for the chip sector.—
Cite this Entry
“Triggers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/triggers. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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