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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of instigated
Facing some quickly crumbling opposition from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Prop 50 was instigated as a response to Trump’s desire to retain GOP control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms via surgical gerrymandering in Red States like Texas.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
To better protect younger iPhone users, too, Apple has instigated a new Communication Safety and Web content filter system that will automatically limit adult website access on child accounts for ages 13-17 (although the specific ages do vary by region).
—PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2025
One key scene between the two men involves a piece of music, instigated by Strong.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors say Carlos Maldonado instigated the beating of a 14-year-old boy last October and also negligently fired off a gun in February of this year.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Serious flooding like what happened in 2018 because of a similar forecast instigated by remnants of Hurricane Rosa could happen in the region, the WPC said.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
In fact, many of the posters, my colleagues and I have noticed, seem to be marked with verbatim messages in similar handwriting; had Schiffmann not only courted the vandalism but also instigated it?
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
The man injured in the incident is suing Sanchez and FOX Corporation, alleging the former NFL player instigated a violent confrontation, KREM TV in Indianapolis reported Monday.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
This is not the first time political arguments over health care policy have instigated a government shutdown.
—Simon F. Haeder, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
To better protect younger iPhone users, too, Apple has instigated a new Communication Safety and Web content filter system that will automatically limit adult website access on child accounts for ages 13-17 (although the specific ages do vary by region).
—PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2025
One key scene between the two men involves a piece of music, instigated by Strong.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors say Carlos Maldonado instigated the beating of a 14-year-old boy last October and also negligently fired off a gun in February of this year.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Serious flooding like what happened in 2018 because of a similar forecast instigated by remnants of Hurricane Rosa could happen in the region, the WPC said.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
In fact, many of the posters, my colleagues and I have noticed, seem to be marked with verbatim messages in similar handwriting; had Schiffmann not only courted the vandalism but also instigated it?
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
The man injured in the incident is suing Sanchez and FOX Corporation, alleging the former NFL player instigated a violent confrontation, KREM TV in Indianapolis reported Monday.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
This is not the first time political arguments over health care policy have instigated a government shutdown.
—Simon F. Haeder, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigated
Verb
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However, this year's ad has provoked widespread criticism, with some even calling for a boycott of Sephora.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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These characters are so thin, their storylines so flimsy and their motives so underbaked that there’s no recognizable emotion underlying any of it, and thus no feeling to be provoked by watching it.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The city’s emergency overflow shelter is available to adults over 18, with capacity for dogs in kennels, but the office encouraged people who need a warm place to sleep to seek primary shelters as a first option.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Nov. 2025
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During the end of the latter track, Lauper encouraged audience members to sing along and brought Salt-n-Pepa onstage to join in.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The negative reviews — some going as far as calling All’s Fair the worst show ever with the worst acting — triggered a new media cycle of stories.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
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This triggered a state law requiring the campus to either be closed or for the school board to be replaced with a board of managers.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When the researchers stimulated autophagy, the problem improved.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Puzzle and activity feeders mimic natural hunting behavior and keep cats mentally stimulated.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigated. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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