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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the demagogue's fiery rant incited the crowd to riot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inciting
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Wole’s infidelity is an important inciting incident, but this moment of personal reckoning was inevitable.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Rivers, in a Facebook post, accused Antao of inciting the attack by antagonizing her.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
In a January letter, the prosecutor, Adán Vicente Santos Santos, claimed that the local court wrongly dismissed testimony of two counterintelligence officers from the Interior Ministry who accused Tristá Padilla of inciting two other men to publish antigovernment content on Facebook.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The president and other administration officials have characterized those left-leaning groups as playing a part in inciting violence, raising concerns that they might be targeted.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
Republicans on Capitol Hill also backed Bondi’s qualified statement that speech inciting violence should be prosecuted.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
Israeli leaders ‘incited genocide’ The report accused Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of inciting genocide.
—Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Van Orden noted that inciting violence is not protected by the First Amendment.
—Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
His alleged infidelity became the inciting incident of the series, and Brooks’s sisters rally around her amid the breakup.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
That’s inciting lots of speculation again — (about) the sustainable fuel, the energy balance.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Wole’s infidelity is an important inciting incident, but this moment of personal reckoning was inevitable.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Rivers, in a Facebook post, accused Antao of inciting the attack by antagonizing her.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
In a January letter, the prosecutor, Adán Vicente Santos Santos, claimed that the local court wrongly dismissed testimony of two counterintelligence officers from the Interior Ministry who accused Tristá Padilla of inciting two other men to publish antigovernment content on Facebook.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The president and other administration officials have characterized those left-leaning groups as playing a part in inciting violence, raising concerns that they might be targeted.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
Republicans on Capitol Hill also backed Bondi’s qualified statement that speech inciting violence should be prosecuted.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
Israeli leaders ‘incited genocide’ The report accused Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of inciting genocide.
—Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Van Orden noted that inciting violence is not protected by the First Amendment.
—Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inciting
Adjective
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These had a whiff of the provocative — often viral — streetwear-leaning creations by Demna.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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The video is one of several provocative creations produced in the days since the general purpose video and audio generation system launched.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Throughout the weekend, McIlroy and other European players sparred with fans, provoking the Irish golfer in at least one instance to yell back at the crowd, while others flashed middle fingers in response to the jeers.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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There was the invasion, the election deniers, and a leader provoking his audience to do something.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Venus is wrapping up in Virgo in your adventure sector, encouraging you to expand through learning, travel, or fresh perspectives.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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Croft urged schools to formally teach digital literacy and parents to reinforce it at home by encouraging keyboard use and balanced screen time.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For context, geomagnetic storms are caused by fiery eruptions from the sun's surface that send charged particles zipping toward our planet.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
20 May 2025
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The ceremony came at a charged moment, coinciding with Columbia University canceling its graduation ceremony (and largely closing off its campus).—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2024
Verb
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Fiber helps increase feelings of fullness by slowing digestion and stimulating the release of satiety hormones.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
30 Sep. 2025
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Another highlight of the month is Pluto’s shift direct in Aquarius on October 13, which supercharges your joy sector, stimulating feelings of romance, creativity, play, and pleasure.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inciting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inciting. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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