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
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
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
-
The attendees—thirty- and forty-somethings who are members of the bank’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, which boasts an average account size of over $75 million—gathered to hash out their anxiety and excitement.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Bring the excitement off the screen and into the real world with this fun hide and seek figure, which encourages active play with a timer and spoken clues to lead kids to her hiding spot.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That that might be the impetus for people to try to come together in some way.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The impetus for the collaboration came from Smith’s own experience using garlic in her cooking.—
Emily Burns,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The program provides support and encouragement to those who are struggling with grief.—
Ramona Sentinel,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
With his mother’s encouragement, Galloway appealed his case to UCLA, and met with an admissions officer.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
People think of puzzle games as endless (or nearly so), and after a day or so, all 35 levels can be soaked in and completed, with only the promise of a higher score as incentive to return.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
-
If a cease-fire would precipitate these becoming realities, as European leaders in the coalition of the willing suggest, then Russia has a strong incentive to avoid a cease-fire altogether, even if combat operations are pursued at a lower intensity.—
Jack Watling,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The salience network, which responds to external stimuli.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Without being able to compute directly from real stimuli, perceptual models could capture ideas in theory but fail simple real-world tests.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Duffy denied any political motivation.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
His content, often featuring humorous music about food was intended as motivation for Lomax’s own health journey.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Recent scientific studies have found that horticultural therapy promotes creativity, self-esteem, social interaction and sensory stimulation.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Children are exposed to far more stimulation naturally from microbes than from vaccines.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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