as in urging
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 exhorting
Sergey Brin, Google’s billionaire cofounder who stepped back from day-to-day involvement in 2019, is back full-time, pitching in on some of the technical work and exhorting staffers to push themselves harder and to work longer hours, according to media reports.
—
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
In its opening scene, from George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, Preston starts singing the warmly exhorting gospel song that gives the film its name.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
San Diego Clippers coach Paul Hewitt sometimes resembles a third-base coach, waving his arms forward rapidly, exhorting his players to race the ball up the floor after a rebound or forced turnover.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024
On an August day in 2011, a man stood outside City Hall in Newark, New Jersey, exhorting a crowd through a wireless microphone.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
In its opening scene, from George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, Preston starts singing the warmly exhorting gospel song that gives the film its name.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
San Diego Clippers coach Paul Hewitt sometimes resembles a third-base coach, waving his arms forward rapidly, exhorting his players to race the ball up the floor after a rebound or forced turnover.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024
On an August day in 2011, a man stood outside City Hall in Newark, New Jersey, exhorting a crowd through a wireless microphone.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhorting
Verb
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Retail groups aren’t the only ones urging the bill’s swift passage.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Jan. 2026
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Fans flooded the comment section with excitement, urging the accomplished athlete to revert to his iconic hairstyle.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety is also encouraging impacted customers to contact them by submitting a complaint online or calling 303-866-4967.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Known for encouraging collaboration in a competitive industry, Brotherton was widely regarded as someone who championed other cooks as much as his own success.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exhorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhorting. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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