Examples of motivate in a Sentence
No one knows what motivated him to act in such a violent way.
Recent Examples on the Web
Many raised concerns about the shooting being racially motivated, and voiced outrage over gun violence and inequality in the criminal justice system.
—
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2024
At this point, Trump is used to the halls of Manhattan courthouses as an extension of his campaign trail to protest the charges and motivate his base.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 13 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors have denied the case is motivated by politics.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
Where the issue has mattered in recent elections is driving new voters to the polls, or motivating those who otherwise might not show up to cast a ballot.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
According to a Google internal message, a change to the company’s terms of service last year was partly motivated by gaining access to user data in Google Docs and restaurant reviews on Google Maps to develop its AI products.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
These questions are what initially motivated Lake to record his daughter’s early life.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
But my experiments and purchases were motivated less by an innate lust for superior coffee and more by a vague sense, absorbed osmotically from my cultural milieu, that better coffee was something adults strive for.
—Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
And although some people are motivated by sacrifice — giving up gas cars or driving fewer miles, for instance — many more can be made to worry about government taking away their pickup trucks or hamburgers or gas stoves, popular talking points for conservative politicians looking to win elections.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2024
At this point, Trump is used to the halls of Manhattan courthouses as an extension of his campaign trail to protest the charges and motivate his base.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 13 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors have denied the case is motivated by politics.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
Where the issue has mattered in recent elections is driving new voters to the polls, or motivating those who otherwise might not show up to cast a ballot.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
According to a Google internal message, a change to the company’s terms of service last year was partly motivated by gaining access to user data in Google Docs and restaurant reviews on Google Maps to develop its AI products.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
These questions are what initially motivated Lake to record his daughter’s early life.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
But my experiments and purchases were motivated less by an innate lust for superior coffee and more by a vague sense, absorbed osmotically from my cultural milieu, that better coffee was something adults strive for.
—Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
And although some people are motivated by sacrifice — giving up gas cars or driving fewer miles, for instance — many more can be made to worry about government taking away their pickup trucks or hamburgers or gas stoves, popular talking points for conservative politicians looking to win elections.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'motivate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
motivate
verb
mo·ti·vate
ˈmōt-ə-ˌvāt 
motivated; motivating
: to provide with a reason for doing something : induce
Medical Definition
motivate
transitive verb
mo·ti·vate
ˈmōt-ə-ˌvāt
motivated; motivating
: to provide with a motive or serve as a motive for
motivate patients to change unhealthy lifestyles
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