trigger
noun
a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.
was triggering
-
past progressiveof trigger.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
“I thought I was just exhausted and stressed. I didn’t know breastfeeding itself was triggering the response, and I didn’t even know D-MER was a thing.”
From Slate ● Mar. 15, 2026
To see what specifically was triggering these neurons, the researchers fed mice fat, sugar, calorie-free sweeteners, and water.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 22, 2023
"I felt very out of control of the situation. It was a really terrifying experience, that's why the scene was triggering," she told Newsbeat.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2022
"If I heard that song it was triggering."
From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2021
Lou was available to anybody, because the content was triggering for everybody.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2020
