incite

verb

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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 Another line of defense that’s been implied in some pro-Trump arguments is that his January 6 speech doesn’t prove an intent to incite a riot. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Trump’s Final Defense of His Presidency May Be His Most Deranged," 8 Feb. 2021 Twitter shares dropped more than 12% after the company permanently banned President Donald Trump from its platform due to concerns that his posts would incite further violence following the incident at the Capitol. — Benzinga, Detroit Free Press, "Stock market rides wave of stimulus, earnings and vaccine optimism," 16 Jan. 2021 The moves have won praise from liberals and others, who said the actions were long overdue because Trump had used social media to spread falsehoods and incite violence. — BostonGlobe.com, "Trump has been suspended from YouTube," 13 Jan. 2021 McConnell’s public neutrality on impeachment is widely seen as an effort to restrain Trump’s behavior, with an acquittal largely contingent on Trump’s ability to persuade his supporters not to incite more violence. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "GOP senators, including Mitt Romney, in spotlight as second impeachment trial looms," 14 Jan. 2021 The social media giants both cited a fear the president would use the platforms to incite further violence. — Emma Colton, Washington Examiner, "Here are six videos of Democrats calling for violence or physical confrontations that are still active on Twitter," 11 Jan. 2021 Citing the potential for Trump’s words to incite others - even in the absence of clear references to violence - took Twitter’s enforcement actions to a restrictive new level, as commentators noted Friday night. — Author: Craig Timberg, Drew Harwell, Anchorage Daily News, "Twitter warns of new violence to come, brewing again on social media, as reason for Trump ban," 9 Jan. 2021 Berndt noted that the president's tweets in May that seemed to incite violence against protesters did not apply to those storming the capitol. — Maya Rao, Star Tribune, "Veterans of George Floyd protests say police restraint is reserved for white people," 8 Jan. 2021 That could incite violence to bring the idea into fruition. — Jazmin Goodwin, CNN, "Trump's talk of martial law sends White House staffers rushing to the press," 20 Dec. 2020

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.