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
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2025
Scottie Scheffler's dominance in men's golf has sparked comparisons to Tiger Woods more than once.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Tim Britton, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
While a nozzle malfunction on one of the two solid-rocket boosters sent up a shower of sparks 38 seconds after liftoff, the mission was still deemed a success.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Verb
Still, the decision has sparked some outrage among those in a fanbase that have been disappointed with the product on the field and have become disillusioned with ownership, particularly in recent years.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2025
Scottie Scheffler's dominance in men's golf has sparked comparisons to Tiger Woods more than once.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
His debut Saturday provided a spark for the Mets: 5 1/3 scoreless innings, two hits and eight strikeouts in a win over the Seattle Mariners.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
While a nozzle malfunction on one of the two solid-rocket boosters sent up a shower of sparks 38 seconds after liftoff, the mission was still deemed a success.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spark
Verb
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Drawing such conclusions from two, admittedly sparkling, performances is ridiculous.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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In certain places, the calm surface sparkles in the sun’s waning light.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Starvation can occur long before famine is declared Because all three thresholds must be met to trigger a famine designation, many people may be starving well before phase five is reached.—
Nurith Aizenman,
NPR,
22 Aug. 2025
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Or a dormant service account suddenly becoming active might trigger a review.—
Craig Davies,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The defense also claimed that the two men Kemp shot at provoked the shooting by stealing Kemp’s truck, his cellphone and memorabilia in Seattle.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
24 Aug. 2025
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The work had been set to appear in Sherald’s solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery; on learning that the museum wished to remove the painting from the show to avoid provoking Trump, the artist canceled the exhibition.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And now, as the first glimmer of reconciliation has emerged due to aides from the two meeting last month and the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between father and son in the cards, a new tell-all book could bring all of that crashing down.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
29 Aug. 2025
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On the morning of Wednesday, August 6, Luhn finally saw a glimmer of hope.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Flaky croissants warm in glowing bakeries, accordion notes drift through the air, and lovers linger by the Seine.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will glow orange, as well.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Alvarez was activated on Tuesday after missing 100 games.—
Jim Bowden,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
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For now, Edwards-Helaire will wait for an injury or an unexpected roster move to clear the way for him to be activated to the 53-man active roster.—
Matt Wadleigh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Mark Armstrong: Traveling to a stunningly remote location encourages you to look inward.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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Miss Manners encourages you instead to put the energy into that letter, thanking the gentleman profusely for attending to such a monumental and potentially harrowing situation with so much grace.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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After the service, there will be bounce houses and a splash pad for recreation, and S&T Too Pizza, Damo’s Dogs, and Day Dreams & Ice Cream will be on site for purchase.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
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Kids and their families enjoyed water games, a splash pad, pool time, giveaways and swag bags, and cool treats and snacks.—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spark. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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