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Synonyms

catalyze

American  
[kat-l-ahyz] / ˈkæt lˌaɪz /
especially British, catalyse

verb (used with object)

catalyzed, catalyzing
  1. to act upon by catalysis.


catalyze Scientific  
/ kătl-īz′ /
  1. To modify, especially to increase, the rate of a chemical reaction through the action of a catalyst.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of catalyze

First recorded in 1885–90; cataly(sis) + (-i)ze

Vocabulary lists containing catalyze

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Poon said that SpaceX work on the data centers will help catalyze development of the technology — and he expects his company will be able to hire SpaceX engineers seeking to work at a startup.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 11, 2026

Much as “Romneycare” gave rise to the Affordable Care Act, WA Cares could finally catalyze a mandatory, universal long-term-care program at the federal level.

From MarketWatch May 13, 2026

Beyond selling cars, the hope has been that Lucid will help catalyze a local Saudi EV manufacturing sector.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 18, 2026

“We expect the cadence of AI-related order wins to accelerate and catalyze shares,” Dorsheimer wrote.

From Barron's Apr. 3, 2026

One reason why technology tends to catalyze itself is that advances depend upon previous mastery of simpler problems.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

“We see great market fundamentals with higher corporate margins and earnings momentum catalyzed by new technology.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 15, 2026

But the silence has catalyzed non-Swiftie onlookers to gin up something decisively, inarguably odious to place at the singer’s feet.

From Salon Jul. 9, 2026

The documentary will chronicle Keys’ childhood in Hell’s Kitchen, and explore how her neighborhood catalyzed her career and the musical.

From Los Angeles Times May 26, 2026

The inflection point in markets since the first few weeks of the war in the Middle East was catalyzed by what Barclays strategists call the “AI frenzy.”

From MarketWatch May 6, 2026

His formula is that faith, hope, belief and expectation, all catalyzed by the imagination, lead inevitably to hypnosis.

From A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis by Powers, Melvin

Artificial intelligence is catalyzing innovation and attracting millions of users.

From The Wall Street Journal May 1, 2026

Vermont was not alone in experiencing the catalyzing effect of Jackson’s presidential runs.

From Salon Feb. 23, 2026

So far, the financial benefits of AI are more apparent in the chip sector, catalyzing a rotation out of software stocks.

From MarketWatch Jan. 29, 2026

Fair Isaac’s stock reaction shows some “market jitters about this announcement potentially catalyzing some switching to VantageScore 4.0,” wrote BMO’s Ryan Griffin and Jeffrey M. Silber.

From Barron's Oct. 8, 2025

I stopped eating in the house, even on the weekends, because without Clara’s catalyzing presence there was no reason why I should put up with my children’s bickering.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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