activate vs breathe

activate

verb
  • To render more reactive; excite. 

  • To organize or create a military unit or station. 

  • To bring a player back after an injury. 

  • To put a device, mechanism (alarm etc.) or system into action or motion; to trigger, to actuate, to set off, to enable. 

  • To render a substance radioactive. 

  • To hasten a chemical reaction, especially by heating. 

  • To remove the limitations of demoware by providing a license; to unlock. 

  • To render a molecule reactive, active, or effective in performing its function. 

  • To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate. 

  • To aerate in order to aid decomposition of organic matter. 

breathe

verb
  • To give an impression of, to exude. 

  • To inspire (scripture). 

  • To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way. 

  • To live. 

  • To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath. 

  • To exercise; to tire by brisk exercise. 

  • To inhale (a gas) to sustain life. 

  • To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. 

  • To passionately devote much of one's life to (an activity, etc.). 

  • To whisper quietly. 

  • To expel air from the lungs, exhale. 

  • To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently. 

  • To draw something into the lungs. 

  • To exchange gases with the environment. 

  • To stop, to give (a horse) an opportunity to catch its breath. 

How often have the words activate and breathe occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )