1
as in to sparkle
to give off sparks
the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in
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2
as in to trigger
to cause to function
interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
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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as in glimmer
a very small amount
not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spark
Rob Picheta, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the attack that sparked the war in Gaza, according to the Israeli government, and more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza health officials.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
Mary Gilbert, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
The winners likewise offered less spark and spunk than in many of the Oscars' best years.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Verb
The former leader oversaw a ferocious crackdown on drug pushers in the Southeast Asian country, targeting with relentless and bloody zeal a criminal trade that had sparked widespread anger among his supporters.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the attack that sparked the war in Gaza, according to the Israeli government, and more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza health officials.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
Any spark could quickly turn into a rapidly spreading inferno in these conditions.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
The winners likewise offered less spark and spunk than in many of the Oscars' best years.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spark
Verb
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Good sparkles at the 2025 LEADHER Awards presented by RBC in celebration of International Women's Day on March 8 at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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Cloudy and Brittle Dishes and Glassware Dishwashers use water to make everything inside them sparkling clean, but when a home has hard water, the results can be less than satisfactory.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Facebook triggered complaints about privacy violations, such as parents sharing private information without teens’ consent.—
Abdulmalik Alluhidan,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
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This seemed to trigger Kanye, who dropped Bully in the middle of an X rant about Carti, with Kanye also claiming Carti snubbed him on Music.—
Justin Curto,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Over the past eight years, social media platforms have been skillfully manipulated to provoke anger, rage, fear, and distrust, setting individuals and groups against one another.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, that means getting outside of the Court’s comfort zone of an orderly appeals process when individual judges single-handedly provoke a separation-of-powers crisis.—
The Editors,
National Review,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday and flown to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, his most prominent critic felt a glimmer of hope.—
Erika Page,
The Christian Science Monitor,
14 Mar. 2025
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But there are glimmers of hope, thanks to entrepreneurs like Kris Engskov.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Luckily, fake tanners is one of the best ways to get glowing quick, without any harm to your skin.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
10 Mar. 2025
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The information about the institute which has avoided the memory hole just sits there, though this makes some of it glow brighter.—
Jackson Arn,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The system can only be activated under certain driving conditions, requiring specific environmental and traffic criteria to be met.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
13 Mar. 2025
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Carsley said during his spell as interim coach that White still had his ‘do not disturb’ status activated after Southgate’s departure last summer.—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On the positive side, the increase in applications from students of color and the growing diversity of the applicant pool are encouraging signs of progress toward more significant equity in higher education.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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Federal rules mandate that the agency ban food additives that have been found to cause cancer in animals or humans, so consumer and health advocates encouraged the FDA to ban Red 3 in foods as well.—
Chantelle Lee,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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By locking Metcalf into a five-year, $150 million contract, the Steelers have made their biggest splash at wideout, where their track record of drafting and developing the position has hit a valley in recent years (except George Pickens).—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
10 Mar. 2025
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Slam Dunk At Pier 5 at Bayside Marketplace in Miami, this is a winning mix of Don Q Cristal rum, Triple Sec, fresh lime, orange juice, and mint, topped with a bubbly splash of Starry.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spark. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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