1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to encourage
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the charge that the scene in the movie had instigated teenagers to commit similar acts of vandalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instigate
Urbieta’s feature debut is an instigating social drama that follows the tensions between a couple after an encounter with migrants trying to cross the river between the two countries.
—
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Sagittariuses usually prefer to have the last word — which is exactly how Becky instigates matters with Robin.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
State transportation officials said a crash instigated the backup, but airport leaders are still investigating why the gridlock was so extreme.
—Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
That instigated his resignation.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Sagittariuses usually prefer to have the last word — which is exactly how Becky instigates matters with Robin.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
State transportation officials said a crash instigated the backup, but airport leaders are still investigating why the gridlock was so extreme.
—Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
That instigated his resignation.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigate
Verb
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The combined vaccine has been extensively studied and consistently shown to provoke an immune response comparable to what’s seen when the individual vaccines are given separately, and without raising the risk of serious side effects.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
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Things that are shocking and terrible provoke our curiosity; if nothing ever went wrong, there would be no newspapers.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Attendees left the event with tourniquets or trauma bandages and were encouraged to reach out to Bound Tree Medical to purchase additional supplies for their congregations.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Deadheading encourages chocolate cosmos plants to produce more flower buds, keeping plants productive.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To avoid tired, swollen feet, swap your ankle socks out for these Charmking compression socks, which promote good blood circulation in the air.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
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Leo will soon embark on his first international trip, visiting Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to focus on promoting peace in the Middle East.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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States generally had strong revenue growth in 2021 and 2022 because of economic growth, which included federal aid to stimulate the economy.—
Bram Sable-Smith,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
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The data delay comes at a time when economists were looking for signs of a rebound in the job market after months of disappointing reports and when the Fed is expected to announce at least one additional rate cut before the end of the year to stimulate growth.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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