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
-
Gen ’s excitement about artificial intelligence dropped 14 points over the past year to just 22%, according to Gallup polling released this week.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Tamas also said there’s excitement about the opportunity a conference tournament presents, particularly for teams that may have battled injuries during the season but can regroup late for a run.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The impetus for Wednesday’s decision, however, appears to be less about keeping Ohtani fresh and more about the state of his bruised right shoulder.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier this year, Elliott Investment Management took an activist stake in Norwegian, which may have provided impetus for the board to make a leadership change.—
Contessa Brewer,Mallory Leonard,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During Game 1, Doncic offered advice and encouragement to his teammates from the bench.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
With a little encouragement, and after a bit of sake, Isa Briones will pull out her party trick at karaoke.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For years, states have used incentives and tax breaks to compete for data centers, sought for their massive investment in construction and equipment.—
Kevin Hardy,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
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The goal was to stimulate economic development and job creation in distressed areas around the country by providing tax incentives to investors who would back the projects.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The upbeat growth at the start of 2026 has reduced pressure for additional stimulus, prompting economists to push back expectations for interest rate cuts.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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This time, economists say the job market and consumer spending are weaker, and there are no large government stimulus checks being issued to spur demand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mount Carmel pitcher Jake Matise received a piece of information Friday morning that provided him with some extra focus and motivation to take into his start later in the afternoon.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
It certainly is affected by profit motivation.—
Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That said, occasional gentle stimulation—like a scalp massage—is generally harmless, according to Bauman.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
14 Apr. 2026
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But sonogenetics offers the possibility of noninvasive stimulation.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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