1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to encourage
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the charge that the scene in the movie had instigated teenagers to commit similar acts of vandalism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instigate
Bunny would instigate it by doing a binky in front of my dog.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Ready to instigate bringing people together?
—USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Events in both works are instigated by a reunion and propelled by family feuds that reopen old wounds.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
The suspect appeared to be instigating a fight inside the park.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Ready to instigate bringing people together?
—USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Events in both works are instigated by a reunion and propelled by family feuds that reopen old wounds.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
The suspect appeared to be instigating a fight inside the park.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigate
Verb
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Brit, still processing, clocks that Kenya was angling for a full-on meltdown, trying to provoke her into playing the aggressor.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
14 Apr. 2025
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Tariffs essentially act as an indirect tax on consumers, provoke retaliatory measures, drive inflation higher, and destabilize financial markets.—
Christian Catalini,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The goal of the tax subsidies was to encourage more Americans to save for retirement.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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For example, a VP of sales looking at declining numbers could stop themselves from commanding their team to call an additional 50 leads by the end of week and instead encourage their sales team to be more proactive.—
Michelle Stansbury,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Infielder David Villar was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento to take his place.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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While the lack of ventilation can provide just the opposite effect, keeping the shower curtain closed promotes a more even drying process for the liner.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The importance of daylight The infrared light found in daylight can modulate inflammation, stimulate collagen production, prevent neurodegeneration, and even optimize mitochondria, which produce energy inside our cells.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
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Greece started its golden visa program in 2013 to stabilize housing prices and stimulate growth in a country facing a recession, skyrocketing unemployment, and austerity measures imposed by international lenders.—
Meehika Barua,
HubSpot,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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