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
The attacks have instigated not just flight restrictions, but closures of swaths of airspace.
—
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Playing off the conceptual revolution instigated by Duchamp (via Piero Manzoni and Maurizio Cattelan), Johnson’s tasty-looking treat lightens the mood and lets a viewer know to expect the unexpected in the galleries to follow.
—Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Jayden Nelson shines in his Austin FC debut New signing Jayden Nelson instigated most of that positive play.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
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
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Playing off the conceptual revolution instigated by Duchamp (via Piero Manzoni and Maurizio Cattelan), Johnson’s tasty-looking treat lightens the mood and lets a viewer know to expect the unexpected in the galleries to follow.
—Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Jayden Nelson shines in his Austin FC debut New signing Jayden Nelson instigated most of that positive play.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigated
Verb
-
And his knockout debut men’s show in June, provoked roaring applause from attendees for its earnest joyfulness.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Union officials said the teen provoked the clash.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Slusser alleged Kress is the one who encouraged her to live in that apartment.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
While Red States are generally supportive of immigration crackdowns, Blue States enacted sanctuary laws that encouraged undocumented migrants to concentrate in their cities despite being a clear violation of the Constitution.—
Doug McIntyre,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Europe and Asian economies could be hit by a prolonged surge in natural gas prices triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East, analysts have warned.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
If no candidate reaches that threshold, a runoff election will be triggered between the top two vote getters in May.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During this period, if not stimulated by visual input, the brain doesn’t develop face perception capabilities, even if the individual can see later in life.—
Sachin Rawat,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Upon entering any art gallery or museum, visitors are consenting to having their imaginations stimulated with new concepts, designs and suggestions.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigated. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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