1
as in to encourage
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
the rousing campaign speech inspired everyone to get out the vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to elicit
to draw out (something hidden, latent, or reserved)
what inspired that comment?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
great works of visual art can inspire us in ways that the written word often cannot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inspire
Be inspired by creative builds at Atlanta Brick Con on Saturday and Sunday at the Gas South Convention Center.
—
Mary Caldwell, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
His life’s tapestry reflected a unique business, American and Jewish journey that fascinated and inspired me.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 Feb. 2026
Established in September, the café’s cool vibe was inspired by Bennett’s love of jazz.
—Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
At La Palma, a six-bedroom villa on the white sands of L’Ansecoy Bay, interiors are Chinoiserie-inspired, with plentiful use of bamboo and rattan.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inspire
Mary Caldwell, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
His life’s tapestry reflected a unique business, American and Jewish journey that fascinated and inspired me.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 Feb. 2026
Established in September, the café’s cool vibe was inspired by Bennett’s love of jazz.
—Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
At La Palma, a six-bedroom villa on the white sands of L’Ansecoy Bay, interiors are Chinoiserie-inspired, with plentiful use of bamboo and rattan.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inspire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspire
Verb
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The numbers have been slowly ticking up for over a year – a rare bit of good news for a government that has spent billions of dollars for more than a decade encouraging people to do just that.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Guests are encouraged to bring camp chairs or blankets.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To keep yourself safe, remember that the purpose of contrast therapy is to elicit a specific physiological response, not test your willpower.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
3 Feb. 2026
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This last part seemed to be a joke, eliciting a peal of laughter from his wife.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
3 Feb. 2026
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To many charter school advocates, declining enrollments are a result of IPS' failures to educate historically underserved students, sparking their flight to charters.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Although there will be a couple of weeks of sports competitions to come, none are possible without an opening ceremony, a combination of solemn official protocol with a fantastic representation of the host country’s culture and character, evoking the Olympic spirit itself.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Elliot Camarra, originally from Cape Cod, created works from paper, metal, glass, and wood that evoke the sea.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspire. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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