1
as in excitement
something that arouses a strong response from another
the rabble-rousing speech was seen by many as an incitation to ethnic violence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
a mild heart attack was all the incitation he needed to adopt an exercise regimen and a healthy diet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incitation
But one chat room over, the server was filled with racist memes, sexist and ableist slurs, antisemitic messages, and incitations of violence against women and people of color.
—
Ash Parrish, The Verge, 18 Mar. 2024
Between these voices of reason and incitation, between these two seemingly different men, lie 22 years of power and five American presidents.
—New York Times, 26 Mar. 2022
Bolsonaro will still have to stand trial for accusations of slander and incitation to rape.
—Mauricio Savarese, Fox News, 12 Sep. 2018
Ash Parrish, The Verge, 18 Mar. 2024
Between these voices of reason and incitation, between these two seemingly different men, lie 22 years of power and five American presidents.
—New York Times, 26 Mar. 2022
Bolsonaro will still have to stand trial for accusations of slander and incitation to rape.
—Mauricio Savarese, Fox News, 12 Sep. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incitation
Noun
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The last time Stephany Gauffeny spoke to her husband, she was encouraged by the excitement in his voice.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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But for that swing to be such a huge whiff, and then to be on stage playing your own protagonist while the excitement of the audience audibly wanes around you for two laborious hours … That’s rough, buddy.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Tesla had a first-mover advantage in China in 2013, leveraging the government’s support of EVs with subsidies and incentives and its production base and opening a gigafactory in Shanghai in 2019.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Livermore and Alameda officials unsuccessfully offered their own tax incentive packages.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The report also complicates the Federal Reserve’s recent pivot toward rate cuts, as stronger GDP may reduce the urgency for additional stimulus.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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There’s so much stimuli that I get really pumped doing it.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The impetus for Redeux Style was to teach people how to create beautiful moments in their lives to be more sustainable.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
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There was enough of an impetus, there was enough energy there.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Reaction to the Grand Blanc Township violence Statements of support, shock and encouragement quickly flooded social media.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Not the one on the field to celebrate a win, but the quieter one to punctuate a season — sharing hugs, backslaps and whispered words of encouragement for the winter to come, for a winter that has come too soon.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The actor discussed his character's motivations in a 2024 interview with TV Insider.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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Some of you may have felt a deep motivation to change your identity, embrace new horizons or shake up your life’s destiny.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What experts definitely agree on is that vagus nerve stimulation has real medical power, and scientists are just beginning to explore its full potential.—
Clarissa Brincat,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
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Today’s young people face a landscape of social fragmentation, relentless digital stimulation, and uncertain futures.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incitation. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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