1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to encourage
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the demagogue's fiery rant incited the crowd to riot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incite
At worst, the government has invited in a provocateur who will continue to spread poison and incite violence.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
She was convicted five times for inciting racial hatred, oftentimes directed at the Muslim community, and was publicly dismissive of the #MeToo movement and feminism, preferring to focus her philanthropic efforts on the rights of animals over women.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Bardot was also criticized for inciting racial hatred and for comparing homosexuals and pedophiles in her book.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
She was eventually accused of inciting racial hatred and fined 5,000 euros.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incite
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
She was convicted five times for inciting racial hatred, oftentimes directed at the Muslim community, and was publicly dismissive of the #MeToo movement and feminism, preferring to focus her philanthropic efforts on the rights of animals over women.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Bardot was also criticized for inciting racial hatred and for comparing homosexuals and pedophiles in her book.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
She was eventually accused of inciting racial hatred and fined 5,000 euros.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incite
Verb
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His allies would say the victim had provoked their own death and blame Democrats for inciting the violence.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2026
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In the main event of SmackDown, Trick Williams defeated Damian Priest by DQ after provoking Sami Zayn.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Warned about assignments, encouraged to job hunt This story is based on interviews with 10 current and former Post staffers drawn from both the newsroom and the business side of the paper.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
30 Jan. 2026
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In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Matt Damon, the star of many movies that college students may not have seen, said that Netflix has started encouraging filmmakers to put action sequences in the first five minutes of a film to get viewers hooked.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Because of the false but persistent and powerfully seductive nostrum that reducing the value of a country’s currency will stimulate its economy by making its exports cheaper and its imports more expensive.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The two ingredients are packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to help support a healthy scalp and promote blood circulation, which stimulates hair follicles.—
Melony Forcier,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incite. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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