1
as in to inspire
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to promote
to help the growth or development of
asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encourage
This Saturday’s protest, the first major one expected since Operation Metro Surge wound down last month, has a much different tone – music legend Bruce Springsteen is expected to perform, and demonstrators are encouraged to bring sunscreen.
—
Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
The new rules included incentives to encourage customers to pair their solar installations with battery storage systems.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Jack’s advice was the same as decades before, encouraging all to slowly change bad habits into good habits, such as convincing wife Elaine to quit smoking 50 years earlier and replace the practice with daily exercise incentives.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
One of my guides encouraged me to touch the stuff once it had been pressed into one of the shells.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encourage
Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
The new rules included incentives to encourage customers to pair their solar installations with battery storage systems.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Jack’s advice was the same as decades before, encouraging all to slowly change bad habits into good habits, such as convincing wife Elaine to quit smoking 50 years earlier and replace the practice with daily exercise incentives.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
One of my guides encouraged me to touch the stuff once it had been pressed into one of the shells.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encourage
Verb
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The charity event helps raise money for the Sixers Youth Foundation, a nonprofit started back in 2015, whose mission is to use the power of basketball and the influence of the Sixers to inspire future generations.—
Kerri Corrado,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As technology has evolved, car shows have also become a stage to debut and promote emerging forms of transportation.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Several of her Instagram posts also included hashtags promoting Swift’s album.—
Joe Kottke,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Felder also feared that the attack would provoke unprecedented violence against Palestinians, and believed that being Jewish required adhering to certain moral precepts.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Analysts have warned such a move could provoke wider retaliation and further destabilize shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes.—
Steve Mollman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Energage urges employers to use employee survey results, comments, and other feedback to identify gaps in learning opportunities and to improve existing programs.—
Bob Helbig,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
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Facing a looming deadline, Amazon is urging a federal regulator to grant an extension for its Starlink competitor, Leo, arguing that only SpaceX opposes the proposal.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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They were traced to the purchase of 11 real estate properties, 14 plots of land cultivated as vineyards and olive groves, along with artworks and financial assets in Florence and the neighboring Tuscan countryside.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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In Seoul, Kim sits down with leading figures from the K-pop world to investigate how the industry cultivated an extraordinarily devoted international following.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Third, according to Foligain, scientific research has shown that minoxidil can stimulate follicle activity at the cellular level.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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These vibrations resonate within the sinus cavities, stimulating the surrounding tissues and encouraging natural mucus drainage.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Your 9th House of Expansion is energized by Venus and Chiron aligning, nudging you to choose growth over perfection in an expanding field.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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But the Tarantino fetish becomes so pronounced in Russian writer-director Kirill Sokolov’s addition to the grungy revenge-thriller that every quick zoom and shock-cinema score cue starts to feel less like an adrenaline spike and more like a rib nudge.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gilman says the city must now make these painful cuts to live within its means, but can't cut its way to financial health, needing to grow new revenue with the help of foundations and nonprofits and fostering new development and new business.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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The all-inclusive Amazing Family Program fosters bonding through activities like yoga, treasure hunts, and family story time.—
Sheryl Nance Nash,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encourage. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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