incite

verb

in·cite | \ in-ˈsīt

incited; inciting

Definition of incite

transitive verb

: to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on

Other Words from incite Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about incite

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Other Words from incite

incitant \ in-ˈsī-tᵊnt

\ noun

incitement \ in-ˈsīt-mənt

\ noun

inciter noun

Choose the Right Synonym for incite

incite, instigate, abet, foment mean to spur to action. incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating. inciting a riot instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention. instigated a conspiracy abet implies both assisting and encouraging. aiding and abetting the enemy foment implies persistence in goading. fomenting rebellion

Examples of incite in a Sentence

The news incited widespread fear and paranoia. the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Wild and untouched, the Gulf of Chiriquí incites a feeling of discovery, its golden sand beaches and jungle paths offering a more bucolic lookout than that from a rooftop party in the capital. — Julia Eskins, Vogue, "Why Panama is the Place to Go in 2019," 1 Jan. 2019 The report also said opposition leaders had incited violence ahead of the deployment of soldiers in the capital, Harare. — Farai Mutsaka, The Seattle Times, "Zimbabwe inquiry finds army, police killed 6 during protest," 19 Dec. 2018 But the ability of hard-line clerics to organize mass rallies and incite violence against political opponents has often forced even liberal governments to bow to their demands. — Fox News, "Pakistan's Ahmadis fearful as leaders bow to extremists," 28 Sep. 2018 The front that set off that wild squall line that incited even the ocean to riot, setting off a meteotsunami off Atlantic City, has stalled to the south of the region. — Anthony R. Wood, Philly.com, "Flood watch for entire Phila. region as rains keep coming," 16 May 2018 Scott, who was charged under his real name Jacques Webster, was arrested and initially charged with inciting a riot, disorderly conduct and endangering the welfare of a minor in May 2017 during his concert. — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Travis Scott Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Conduct After Allegedly Inciting a Riot During Concert," 6 Feb. 2018 Almost from the beginning, WhatsApp messages have been used to incite mob violence in India. — Annie Gowen, Washington Post, "Indians are wild about WhatsApp. But some worry it’s hurting democracy.," 14 May 2018 Facebook is a dominant source of information in Myanmar, and civil society groups have accused it of being a kind of absentee landlord, with few moderators and systems in place to keep extremists from using Facebook posts to incite violence. — Kevin Roose And Paul Mozur, New York Times, "Zuckerberg Was Called Out Over Myanmar Violence. Here’s His Apology.," 9 Apr. 2018 In the past, his story might have remained just that: an inciting incident and nothing more. — Travis M. Andrews, The Seattle Times, "In a first for the Emmys, black actors sweep guest-acting categories, signaling TV’s slowly increasing diversity," 10 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.