functioned as a trigger

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "functioned as a trigger" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that initiates or causes a reaction or event to occur. Example: "The sudden noise functioned as a trigger for her anxiety, causing her to panic."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

For ABC transporters, such a charge-induced conformational change may function as a trigger for releasing ΔGE, by lowering the transition-state energy barrier from CIn to COut.

Protein & Cell

This mechanism may be relevant to cocaine abuse in the context of extracellular matrix remodeling, in that a cocaine induced reset of pacemaker activity might be an underlying activity dependent metaplasticity that functions as a trigger for the consolidation or adaptive generalization of memories of an intense euphoria.

Plosone

Thus, poor school achievement might function as a trigger for alterations in the causal pathway of genetic and environmental factors underlying neurobiological changes leading to mental disorders.

BMC Psychiatry

Collectively, these results emphasize that reversible phosphorylation may function as a trigger to induce or disrupt α-helix, depending on the position of the phosphorylation site within an α-helix.

Biochemistry

While RBC necroptosis shared many molecular steps with canonical necroptosis pathways, it was distinct from eryptosis, a RBC-specific programmed cell death (PCD) that functions as a trigger for RBC clearance by macrophages.

Cell Death and Disease

The observation of an internal substrate binding site by X-ray crystallography has also helped to resolve the paradox since it suggests that substrate binding may function as a trigger for the switch from globin to peroxidase function by its strong interaction with the heme Fe.

Biochemistry

Under the correct circumstances, these positive feedback loops could function as a bistable trigger for mitosis, and oscillators with bistable triggers may be particularly relevant to biological applications such as cell cycle regulation.

Stanford University

Dreamers functioned as a side story to Chrono Trigger, resolving a loose subplot from its predecessor.

Wikipedia

The system functions as a mitotic trigger, toggling between a stable interphase state, where CDK1 is off, and a stable M-phase state, where CDK1 is on.

Current Biology

Thus, rafts behave as recruitment platforms to facilitate and potentiate downstream signaling events, with Fas functioning as a critical trigger of the apoptotic process.

Plosone

This layered organization appears to be consistent with the fact that the ROS-mediated regulon is an ' early response' mechanism that may be functioning as an initial trigger to a more complex transcriptional network involved in cellular defenses against the physiological injuries caused by chilling.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "functioned as a trigger", ensure that the context clearly establishes what action or event was initiated by the trigger.

Common error

Avoid using "functioned as a trigger" when the action that followed was merely correlated, not directly caused, by the trigger. Ensure a clear causal relationship is present.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "functioned as a trigger" acts as a verb phrase, specifically functioning as a predicate. It describes the role or purpose something served in initiating an event or process. It is often used to specify a cause-and-effect relationship.

Expression frequency: Missing

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "functioned as a trigger" is grammatically correct. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase to be usable in English for describing initiation or causation. While examples of this phrase are limited. The phrase serves to denote that something initiated or set off a series of events. Alternative expressions, such as "served as a catalyst" or "prompted the commencement of", offer similar meanings and can be used depending on the specific context and level of formality desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

triggered a response

This suggests causing a reaction, which highlights the direct result of the initial action.

acted as an impetus

This alternative suggests a strong driving force or impulse behind an action or event, emphasizing initiation but with more force.

set in motion

This conveys the idea of initiating a series of events or actions.

served as a catalyst

This implies that something accelerated or initiated a process without being consumed, focusing on acceleration and initiation.

caused the onset of

This phrase emphasizes the beginning or start of an event, process, or condition.

constituted a starting point

This highlights the beginning of something, framing it as the initial event or condition.

prompted the commencement of

This is a more formal way of saying something started or began, highlighting the official or ceremonial beginning.

worked as an activation mechanism

Focuses on the method by which something was turned on or set into motion, which can be useful in describing something's process.

operated as an initiator

Emphasizes the role of something as the entity that starts a process, similar to 'trigger' but more formal.

ignited

Implies setting something off suddenly and forcefully, like starting a fire.

FAQs

How can I use "functioned as a trigger" in a sentence?

Use "functioned as a trigger" to describe something that initiated or caused a specific reaction or event. For example, "The alarm functioned as a trigger for the emergency response system".

What phrases are similar to "functioned as a trigger"?

Similar phrases include "acted as an impetus", "served as a catalyst", or "prompted the commencement of".

Is "functioned as a trigger" formal or informal?

"Functioned as a trigger" is relatively neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although more formal options like "operated as an initiator" might be preferred in academic or professional writing.

What's the difference between "functioned as a trigger" and "triggered a response"?

"Functioned as a trigger" describes the role something played, whereas "triggered a response" focuses on the action of causing a reaction. The former is about the function, the latter about the result.