as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction
an artist who deliberately creates instigating works of art that are sure to arouse controversy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in provoking
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigating
Adjective
-
Will Lai take provocative actions that demand a response?—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025 -
Trump's threats shift Canada's election, boosting Liberals under Carney Trump's recent trade war moves and provocative remarks about Canada have unexpectedly transformed the country's upcoming election, helping the Liberal Party, previously trailing, gain momentum heading into Monday's vote.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This will deepen the divide between the global North and South on issues of race and cultural difference, straining the West’s diplomatic relations with countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America while provoking broader resentment toward Western countries seen as perpetuating racial hierarchies.—
Matias Spektor,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
-
In 2008, the United States suggested that Georgia and Ukraine might eventually join the alliance but offered no concrete path to membership, thus provoking Russia without effectively deterring it.—
Michael Beckley,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Thursday’s swings also hit the bond market, which had been showing encouraging signals earlier in the day that stress may be easing.—
Time,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
-
At the time, Meta issued similar guidance, releasing an update that solved the breach and encouraging users to move to the latest version of WhatsApp.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The ceremony came at a charged moment, coinciding with Columbia University canceling its graduation ceremony (and largely closing off its campus).—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2024
-
Of course, genocide is a charged and redolent term, recalling the systematic precision of the Holocaust and the society-wide butchery of the Rwandan genocide.—
Kristina Hook,
Foreign Affairs,
28 July 2022
Verb
-
Each film is an immersive experience, taking viewers behind the scenes and under the surface of the sea, revealing the dangers these marine environments face, promoting ocean literacy and championing change.—
Luisa Zargani,
WWD,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Meanwhile Russia is promoting drone awareness in children in other ways, down to children’s cartoons in which characters use their videogame skills to pilot drones delivering toys.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
But at the time, the theory that providing children with stimulating activities would help them more than rote learning and academic drills was revolutionary.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Jan. 2025
-
For only the second time in at least a decade, top leaders last month made stimulating spending and domestic demand their top priority in 2025.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune Asia,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The biggest hurdle is raising the $160,000 needed to send 21 students and four chaperones across the Atlantic.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
Journal Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
-
The suit alleges that millions of Times articles were used without authorization in training AI models, raising fundamental questions about intellectual property rights in the digital age.—
Sol Rashidi,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Instigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigating. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share