catalyze
verb
cat·a·lyze
ˈka-tə-ˌlīz 
catalyzed; catalyzing
1
: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)
an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of the sugars
2
: bring about, inspire
his vigorous efforts to catalyze us into activity—
Harrison Brown
Harrison Brown3
: to alter significantly by or as if by catalysis
innovations in basic chemical theory that have catalyzed the field—Newsweek
Newsweek
catalyzer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of catalyze in a Sentence
a reinstitution of the draft would catalyze protests around the country
Recent Examples on the Web
However, Aditya Shah’s work has catalyzed positive change in this iconic metropolis.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
When most of us see a news story about a natural disaster, read a report about racial violence, or see the latest statistics about the gender wealth gap, we aren’t catalyzed to action because these are just the latest in a long string of big, complicated problems.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Successes like Bezos’ or countless other CEOs are usually catalyzed by failures.
—Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
Now, as a Bears rookie, Williams has catalyzed a 4-2 start and has much of a passionate fan base believing the never-ending search for a QB savior may be over.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for catalyze 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
William Mullane, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
When most of us see a news story about a natural disaster, read a report about racial violence, or see the latest statistics about the gender wealth gap, we aren’t catalyzed to action because these are just the latest in a long string of big, complicated problems.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Successes like Bezos’ or countless other CEOs are usually catalyzed by failures.
—Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
Now, as a Bears rookie, Williams has catalyzed a 4-2 start and has much of a passionate fan base believing the never-ending search for a QB savior may be over.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for catalyze
Dictionary Entries Near catalyze
Cite this Entry
“Catalyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catalyze. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catalyze
verb
cat·a·lyze
ˈkat-ᵊl-ˌīz
catalyzed; catalyzing
: to bring about or produce by chemical catalysis
Medical Definition
catalyze
transitive verb
cat·a·lyze
variants
or British catalyse
catalyzed or British catalysed; catalyzing or British catalysing
: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)
catalyzer
noun
or British catalyser
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share