INSTIGATION Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

instigation

noun

Definition of instigation next

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

subduing

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

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.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigation

Noun

The Grappler is generating excitement in some corners of law enforcement as officials look for new ways to deal with high-speed pursuits.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
However, that excitement soon waned as the city planner who had been assisting with the project left in September.

— Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026