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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2025
There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
That’s the inciting incident of After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino (Queer, Challengers) and written by Nora Garrett.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
The conflicts here are within the entire country and this family, but the central and inciting conflict is between two women.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Beijing may recognize a particular opposition figure as its preferred negotiation partner, while inciting public unrest and demonstrations against the Taipei government.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Although Odinga was never accused of inciting violence, others — including future presidents Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta — were.
—CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
That public humiliation is The Chair Company’s inciting incident.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025
Scammers use sophisticated tactics that prey on the vulnerabilities of older adults, inciting panic and inducing isolation so that individuals make decisions alone and quickly.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
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
Adjective
That’s a solid dramatic question, but one that might’ve been more productive as an inciting incident, as too much of this low-budget drama shuffles around subjects that demand incisive action in 2025, effectively creating a subtle irony that undermines the film’s own point.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2025
There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
That’s the inciting incident of After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino (Queer, Challengers) and written by Nora Garrett.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
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
But with each successive draft, the inciting incident—Noah being invited to Marfa—was pulled earlier and earlier toward the start.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
The conflicts here are within the entire country and this family, but the central and inciting conflict is between two women.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Beijing may recognize a particular opposition figure as its preferred negotiation partner, while inciting public unrest and demonstrations against the Taipei government.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Although Odinga was never accused of inciting violence, others — including future presidents Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta — were.
—CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
That public humiliation is The Chair Company’s inciting incident.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025
Scammers use sophisticated tactics that prey on the vulnerabilities of older adults, inciting panic and inducing isolation so that individuals make decisions alone and quickly.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inciting
Adjective
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One of the official accounts, @GovPressOffice, has seen nearly 1 billion impressions on X since those first provocative posts in June, per Newsom's campaign.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
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But Bugonia’s provocative premise doesn’t yield a sci-fi thriller.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At best, all of his perhapses and could have beens will lead to unexpected, thought-provoking conclusions.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
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This is an installment of The Nightcrawler, a weekly collection of thought-provoking articles on tech, innovation, and long-term investing by Eric Markowitz of Nightview Capital.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Police are encouraging anyone with knowledge of the crash to come forward with further details.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Several viewers shared more helpful solutions, with some encouraging the woman to ask a pest control professional for help.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Inciting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inciting. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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