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to catalyze

to catalyze

12 7.5
To make a reaction or process happen faster
  • verb
  • /ˈkætəˌlaɪz/
  • US
translation icon : catalizar
  • The government's initiative is designed to catalyze economic growth in the region.
  • catalyzed reaction
  • catalyze change
  • catalyze the process

They're the enzymes that catalyze and do all the chemistry of life.

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Examples

  • The energy crisis in the early 1970s, which revealed the extent of U.S. vulnerability, catalyzed this strategic agenda.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The new advertising campaign will catalyze interest in the product among younger consumers.

  • And they catalyze this entire mobile revolution because they have advanced and continued to advance.

  • Or do you feel like there are things that can be done to catalyze those changes in the meantime?

  • Anger is a very powerful fuel source and it will catalyze a lot of activity and in some cases a lot of success.

  • The first year was the launch year and the question was how do we catalyze and sustain innovation in teaching and learning?

  • We will discover those who have catalyzed us to change and make change.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The field of community-based efforts that seek to catalyze comprehensive change will, in all likelihood, continue to grow.

    Academic text (1997)
  • As she notes, the actions of such institutions may "catalyze national debate" or enhance our understanding of how governmental processes work.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Thus, this article has shown how organizing for the environment catalyzed the formation of a multiethnic social movement.

    Academic text (2001)

Synonyms

to accelerate
vsto catalyze
  • Specialized
331 3.7

To move faster or make something happen faster

causes or enables faster change by making the process easier
to hasten
vsto catalyze
12 4.6

Make something happen sooner

speeds events by making the process easier rather than just shifting time
to turbocharge
vsto catalyze
1 6.2

To make something much faster or more effective

speeds processes by enabling them rather than by adding external force

Phrasal Verbs

To help a project or plan succeed faster by making important changes

How Fast

trigger
100 3.4
to catalyze
  • US
12 7.5
to cause
1.0
to prompt
217 3.6
to drive
3.6

Surface Forms

catalyze infinitive
catalyzed past
catalyzed past participle
catalyzing present participle
catalyzes third person singular

Etymology

The word catalyze comes from the Greek idea catalysis, where lysis means 'to loosen' or 'break'. Think of a catalyst as something that 'loosens' a block so a reaction can start more easily. So to catalyze is to make a reaction or process happen more quickly.