Synonyms of inciting

inciting 1 of 2

adjective

as in provocative

serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction

a deliberately inciting comment questioning someone's manhood started the brawl

Synonyms & Similar Words

• provocative
• charged
• provoking
• motivating
• motivational
• exciting
• stimulating
• instigating
• motivative
• triggering
• inflammatory
• piquing
• instigative
• edgy
• inducing
• explosive
• inspiring
• incendiary
• activating
• inspirational
• teasing
• fiery
• energizing
• aggravating
• upsetting
• annoying
• taunting
• irritating
• maddening
• quickening
• vitalizing
• galvanizing
• jeering
• vexatious
• exasperating
• vexing
• bothersome
• irksome
• enraging
• angering
• pesky
• galling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noninflammatory
• subduing

inciting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of incite

1

as in provoking

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

• provoking
• triggering
• promoting
• raising
• encouraging
• fomenting
• instigating
• abetting
• stimulating
• stirring (up)
• fermenting
• picking
• cultivating
• brewing
• whipping (up)
• fostering
• furthering
• setting in motion
• motivating
• inspiring
• forwarding
• nurturing
• advancing
• detonating
• sowing
• inflaming
• galvanizing
• rousing
• nourishing
• activating
• exciting
• setting off
• energizing
• setting
• enlivening
• invigorating
• firing
• quickening
• vitalizing
• jazzing (up)
• pepping (up)
• livening (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• regulating
• inhibiting
• restraining
• holding
• curbing
• discouraging
• checking
• constraining
• taming
• subduing
• soothing
• settling
• calming
• bridling
• quieting
• reining (in)
• allaying
• stilling
• tranquilizing

2

as in encouraging

to rouse to strong feeling or action

the demagogue's fiery rant incited the crowd to riot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• provoking
• encouraging
• stimulating
• stirring
• arousing
• sparking
• instigating
• inspiring
• motivating
• moving
• inducing
• triggering
• exciting
• driving
• firing (up)
• igniting
• revving (up)
• piquing
• inflaming
• impassioning
• fomenting
• activating
• fanning
• galvanizing
• motiving
• angering
• building a fire under
• energizing
• abetting
• kindling
• animating
• bothering
• enraging
• quickening
• taunting
• fermenting
• vitalizing
• setting off
• teasing
• upsetting
• jeering
• raising
• keying (up)
• whipping (up)
• aggravating
• pumping up
• getting
• maddening
• irritating
• annoying
• exasperating
• vexing
• galling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soothing
• calming
• subduing
• appeasing
• placating
• pacifying
• tranquilizing
• mollifying

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inciting

Adjective

Societies throughout history have punished language deemed blasphemous, seditious, inciting or slanderous. — Paul Quigley, The Conversation, 13 July 2026

Not an inciting event for troll armadas to threaten the people involved. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Does the opening episode need an inciting incident within the first few minutes to draw in audiences? — Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 June 2026

Although more research is needed, GLP-1 drugs trigger metabolic pathways that could be important in regulating inflammation, which is known to be an inciting factor in many different cancers. — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

What was the setting and the all-important inciting incident? — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Of course, the pivotal thing was to create an inciting incident that propels the story without clunky exposition. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 May 2026

The inciting moment comes when Austin and Ashley witness a violent argument between Josh and Lindsay. — Ryan Brennan april 16, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026

While one of the inciting events for establishing the Code of Credits happened to be a crowd of producers onstage at the Oscars, the goal never was to exclude anyone from the profession. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026

Verb

The series’ inciting incident seems to be when Lonnie’s longtime caddie, Old Hank (Keith David), keels over in a sand trap, never to carry golf clubs again. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026

The inciting incident for that arrest was captured on video that TMZ published in March, and showed Paul hurling metal bar stools toward Mortensen. — Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 16 July 2026

The scandal rocked the Cry Babies, prompting some to give the singer a new nickname, Felony Martinez, while inciting the majority to pile in against Timothy and dismiss her story as contemptible lies. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 13 July 2026

Staff members of the satirical magazine Leman are on trial on charges of inciting hatred over a cartoon published last year that features the Prophet Mohammed and Moses. — ABC News, 2 July 2026

Salonen guided the Colburn Orchestra with flexible authority, imposing order or inciting wildness as the moment required. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Halfway through its ten-episode first season, Nick Antosca’s series lacks the basic elements that make Cape Fear, down to the inciting incident. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026

The setting, the inciting incident. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Elon Musk has been accused of inciting violence. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 11 June 2026