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
-
Fitzgerald said there’s no lingering disappointment following last weekend’s three losses, just excitement as his team attempts to claim the league title ahead of the postseason Big 12 tourney and NCAAs.—
Gary Bedore
May 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
-
In a second post shared the next day, Miccio continued documenting her excitement with a new series of snaps of the happy pair.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The swell of political dissatisfaction with Starmer from many of his colleagues, and what appears to be his narrow escape from an immediate leadership challenge, provides the impetus for the government to revamp its legislative agenda.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
-
The project now has fresh impetus with SBS Productions and SBS International, which is repping sales at the Cannes market.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
For this year's campaign, Kemp rebuffed Senate Republican leaders' encouragement to challenge Ossoff and declined to endorse either Collins or Carter.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
There’s so much encouragement, advice, and support happening in every one.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
House members who occupy safe seats have fewer incentives to compromise or work across the aisle.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Provincial incentives can be stacked with the federal rebate to a bonus tax credit rate of 45 percent — a significant lever in an era when every greenlight is being scrutinized.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
Perhaps sensing this, the league trotted out a series of onstage stimuli between picks.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
That anticlimax proved enduring motivation for son Clark, now the chairman of the Chiefs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
-
Most organizations continue to approach performance through the lens of the individual, focusing on motivation or endurance, while overlooking the structural conditions that quietly determine how people function over time.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The solution, therefore, is to reduce stimulation to allow dopamine levels to recover.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
Beyond movement, the system uniquely uses sensory stimulation to reconnect Patterson with his physical self, aiming to restore the sensation of touch in his hands for the first time in 10 years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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