1
as in provoked
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraged
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the charge that the scene in the movie had instigated teenagers to commit similar acts of vandalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instigated
In this moment, there’s a lot of conversations that are being surfaced at the table that strangely, were instigated around immigration policy and policing.
—
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
O’Hara is a police chief pushed past his limits, struggling to quell violence instigated by federal law enforcement.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
In a 2019 chat with RuPaul, Lake said that witnessing planes flying into the World Trade Center on 9/11 was what instigated her desire to stop hosting.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
In Anaheim last Sunday, photo and video evidence documented a violent confrontation instigated by ICE during a car wash raid.
—Jody Agius Vallejo, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
The real-life friends instigated the project and serve as producers, with their obvious glee in playing off each other adding greatly to the enjoyment.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Verse said Thursday that former Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht instigated the demonstration.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
In a separate footnote, Mastro even claimed Oakley’s attorney may have instigated the DOI’s review of his MSG work.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
The vice president was responding to a civil liberties attorney who had said video showed that immigration officers instigated the confrontation with Good.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
O’Hara is a police chief pushed past his limits, struggling to quell violence instigated by federal law enforcement.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
In a 2019 chat with RuPaul, Lake said that witnessing planes flying into the World Trade Center on 9/11 was what instigated her desire to stop hosting.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
In Anaheim last Sunday, photo and video evidence documented a violent confrontation instigated by ICE during a car wash raid.
—Jody Agius Vallejo, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
The real-life friends instigated the project and serve as producers, with their obvious glee in playing off each other adding greatly to the enjoyment.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Verse said Thursday that former Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht instigated the demonstration.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
In a separate footnote, Mastro even claimed Oakley’s attorney may have instigated the DOI’s review of his MSG work.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
The vice president was responding to a civil liberties attorney who had said video showed that immigration officers instigated the confrontation with Good.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigated
Verb
-
The refusal to be endlessly provoked.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The law provoked fraught debates in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Liu first laced up her skates at five, encouraged by her father, Arthur.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Much of that instability was triggered by the battle between Thaksin and his allies, versus Thailand’s conservative establishment, a small but powerful network of military, royalist, and business elites threatened by his populist policies.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The recall was triggered after inspectors discovered pieces of blue plastic in a production filter.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Suckers can be stimulated to grow for a variety of reasons, such as the vigor of a plant’s root system in situations where the plant is grafted (as many non-native witchhazels and tree cultivars are).—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
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Economic shifts and declining cost curves have stimulated clean energy in a way that rules could not have done alone.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigated. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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