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
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
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
-
But no one appears to be clamoring with excitement.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Emma bounced, her body athrill with excitement again.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her imminent takeover/makeover of an ancient celler (wine cellar restaurant) in Inca is sure to give fresh impetus to the big Balearic’s culinary reappraisal of itself.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Part of the impetus for the scrutiny is the federal grand jury investigation into tens of millions of dollars that have been distributed among Hartford nonprofits, including some in the city’s economically distressed North End.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For Bodenham, that early encouragement from Jones grew into a career exploring the deep history of life on earth.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Students shout encouragement while shaking jars of cream into butter.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Profit drives much of our health care system, and the gap between social need and market incentives is evident to anyone navigating insurance forms, rising copays, or surprise bills.—
Scott Levenson,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Among other benefits, China’s lower tariff rate reduces the incentive for companies to shift production to other countries in Asia, at least temporarily.—
Jennifer Jett,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those two breaks in particular account for about half of the stimulus, leading to larger tax refunds and smaller tax payments, the bank found.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
-
With previous federal stimulus checks, individuals earning up to $75,000 and couples earning up to $150,000 received full payments.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Posters of past individual state wrestling champions hang in the Lumpkin County gym to serve as motivation for current wresters, and Nora and Greta’s posters, second and third from right on the wall, respectively, count among them.—
Jason Getz,
AJC.com,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The motivation behind their murder spree and AI fuckery is muddled at best.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The goal was to help the deputies understand the feeling of sensory overwhelm, which many autistic people experience when incoming stimulation exceeds their capacity to process.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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The pain associated with PHN can be so debilitating that some people stay inside because too much movement, touch, and light stimulation could trigger a flare, Schaffner says.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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