1
as in excitement
something that arouses a strong response from another
without instigation of any kind, the man suddenly threw a punch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impetus
something that arouses action or activity
the promise of windfall profits was all the instigation they needed to invest in the scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instigation
Now that more and more users are disengaging and often leaving those platforms entirely, the AI bots are moving in, often at the instigation of the social media platforms themselves.
—
ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
Had the country remained coalesced around the accurate original understanding of January 6—that American citizens had been lied to about the 2020 election by the president and had attempted to sack the Capitol partly at his instigation—Webster might have been forced into a reckoning.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Three other people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – were arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism, the UK's Counter Terrorism Policing office said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Three additional suspects -- two men and a woman -- were also taken into custody and arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism, police said on Thursday.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2025
Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have also been arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism in connection with the attack, police said.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Somehow, through its instigation of global disaster, AI can generally be framed as a moral phenomenon.
—Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
At the instigation of president Charles de Gaulle, new towns began to emerge in France at the end of the 1960s as a counter to haphazard urban growth.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
Had the country remained coalesced around the accurate original understanding of January 6—that American citizens had been lied to about the 2020 election by the president and had attempted to sack the Capitol partly at his instigation—Webster might have been forced into a reckoning.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Three other people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – were arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism, the UK's Counter Terrorism Policing office said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Three additional suspects -- two men and a woman -- were also taken into custody and arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism, police said on Thursday.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2025
Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have also been arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism in connection with the attack, police said.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Somehow, through its instigation of global disaster, AI can generally be framed as a moral phenomenon.
—Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
At the instigation of president Charles de Gaulle, new towns began to emerge in France at the end of the 1960s as a counter to haphazard urban growth.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigation
Noun
-
Two, people might pretend to be different characters or scenarios, which can add excitement.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
In March 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the excitement to a grinding halt.—
Emily Holshouser
May 28,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Three cases The impetus for the legislation was a shocking case last year in Waterbury that was following by two other cases in New Britain and Enfield.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
-
The impetus to start the brand came after losing a close friend, Kristy, to cancer at just 24 years old in 2013.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The punk rocker, 70, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 AMAs in Las Vegas on Monday, May 25 and gave a sweet speech offering encouragement to any kid interested in music.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
-
Fiebig banged their stick against the goal post at one point, frustrated, but continued to shout instruction and encouragement.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
All of the candidates have made boosting film and TV production in the city a priority, even if the real impact likely comes from production incentives at the state or federal level.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 May 2026
-
Internally, the data may be rich, but it is still bounded by the company’s own assumptions, incentives, and experiences.—
Henrik Totterman,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Increasing the money supply is classically viewed as an economic stimulus.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
-
Notice in March '22 the inflationary spike in reaction to the unprecedented fiscal and monetary policy stimulus following the global pandemic.—
Todd Gordon,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
How does my kitchen environment affect my motivation for cooking?—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
-
Practice Emotional Self-Regulation Emotional contagion can be a motivation killer.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Three days later, the insurer reversed the decision, approving deep brain stimulation for Cambrie.—
Marina Kopf,
NBC news,
27 May 2026
-
One is that your leg muscles need stimulation, so being at a standing desk doesn’t make a difference.—
Kara Alaimo,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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