had been triggered

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been triggered" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an event or reaction that has occurred as a result of a specific stimulus or cause, often in a past context. Example: "The alarm had been triggered by the sudden movement in the room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The landslides had been triggered by heavy rainfall either in 2002 or 2005.

Geomorphology

But Tusk made clear they could make little progress until article 50 had been triggered.

The Guardian

" — It suddenly just, once that thought had been triggered, I just wanted to play with it".

The New Yorker

Oxfam said Peru authorities suspected the extreme weather had been triggered by climate change.

The Guardian

The cells contained a special sort of dye to indicate when a receptor had been triggered.

The Economist

The junta said that the violence had been triggered by her supporters and that four people had been killed.

The New York Times

The genocide had been triggered in 1994 by the assassination of the previous president, whose plane had been shot down.

The Guardian

The inquiry that led to Mr. Kelley's resignation had been triggered by an anonymous complaint last May.

The New York Times

I came into office last November after a bitter byelection that had been triggered by the Jay report.

The Guardian - Opinion

She received alerts on Saturday from her security system that motion sensors throughout the house had been triggered.

The Guardian

There was great uncertainty over whether credit-default swaps had been triggered (in fact, they never were).

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been triggered" when you want to emphasize that a past event was the direct result of a specific cause or action. This phrasing is particularly useful in formal writing and reporting where clarity and precision are essential.

Common error

Avoid using "had been triggered" in simple narratives where a more direct and active verb phrase would suffice. For example, instead of "The event had been triggered by the rain", consider "The rain triggered the event" for a more concise and impactful sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been triggered" functions as a passive past perfect construction, indicating that an action or event was set in motion by a prior cause. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. The construction is frequently used to establish a chronological sequence where one event leads to another in the past.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been triggered" is a grammatically sound and frequently used construction, as verified by Ludwig AI. It serves to illustrate a cause-and-effect relationship in the past, commonly found in news, science, and encyclopedic contexts. When writing, prioritize clarity and conciseness by using simpler alternatives if appropriate. The high frequency and diverse sources using the construction confirm its wide acceptance, thus making it a reliable choice for formal and neutral registers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been initiated

Focuses on the start of a process or action, similar to something being triggered to begin.

had been activated

Emphasizes the start of a function or mechanism, often implying a specific action.

had been caused by

Directly indicates the reason or source of an event, linking it to its origin.

had resulted from

Highlights the outcome or consequence of a prior action or event.

had stemmed from

Suggests an origin or root cause, emphasizing the initial source.

had arisen from

Indicates the emergence or appearance of something as a consequence.

had been prompted by

Highlights the instigating factor that led to a particular result.

had been set off by

Implies a chain reaction or sudden start, similar to a trigger mechanism.

had been sparked by

Suggests a sudden, often energetic, beginning or incitement.

had been brought about by

Emphasizes the causal agent or factor that produced the change.

FAQs

How can I use "had been triggered" in a sentence?

Use "had been triggered" to indicate that something was caused or initiated by a specific event or action in the past. For example, "The landslide "had been triggered" by heavy rainfall."

What are some alternatives to using "had been triggered"?

Alternatives include "had been initiated", "had been activated", or "had been caused by", depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "had been triggered by" or "was triggered by"?

The choice depends on the context. "Had been triggered by" is used to emphasize that the triggering event occurred before another past event. "Was triggered by" is generally used when describing a single past event. For example, "The alarm had been triggered by the time the police arrived" versus "The alarm was triggered by the intruder."

What's the difference between "triggered" and "had been triggered"?

"Triggered" implies a more immediate cause and effect, while "had been triggered" emphasizes that the triggering event occurred in the past relative to another event also in the past. It creates a sequence of past actions.