as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the speaker exhorted the graduating students to go forth and try to make a difference in the world
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Recent Examples of exhort
As the timer passed seven minutes, Steve Eckert exhorted a whimpering young man to dunk his head underwater.
—
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
After a steal and dunk by Reed put UConn back up by six, Huskies coach Dan Hurley began waving his arms wildly at the fans behind his bench, exhorting them to be louder.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Lloyd exhorted the crowd a few times.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Dezenzo exhorted local organizations to coordinate with the Planning Board to present a united community front and improve chances for success.
—Steven Mihailovich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exhort
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
After a steal and dunk by Reed put UConn back up by six, Huskies coach Dan Hurley began waving his arms wildly at the fans behind his bench, exhorting them to be louder.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Lloyd exhorted the crowd a few times.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Dezenzo exhorted local organizations to coordinate with the Planning Board to present a united community front and improve chances for success.
—Steven Mihailovich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exhort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhort
Verb
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Police urge anyone with information to call KCPD detectives at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.—
Rashad Alexander,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
-
Yoon’s wife urges me to open the gift.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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While most college broadcast-journalism programs tend to encourage would-be talent to ditch their regional accents in favor of a more neutral, untraceable delivery, TV pros who came up in the bigs aren’t subject to that sort of verbal nullification.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
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The event, called Fulfillment Center, was geared toward people of all ages who were encouraged to come, put their phone in a cotton bag and engage with one of the many activities centered around reading, writing, making and playing at a long, communal table.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exhort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhort. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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