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
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
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
-
So how could a movie so hellbent on excitement feel so anticlimactic by its end?—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
-
ServiceNow’s software-as-a-service model has struggled on the stock market in recent months, lagging due to investor excitement around AI agents.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 19,
Futurism,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The primary impetus and massive investment behind robotaxis, autonomous shuttles, self-driving trucks, and self-driving buses is not safety.—
John Samuelsen,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Problems in the Persian Gulf, moreover, are likely to give further impetus to China-Russia energy cooperation in the Arctic, since the Northern Sea Route has always been advertised in both countries as an alternative to the volatile route from the Middle East.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Building a Legacy at Keystone With the encouragement of mountain communities, the presence of Black visitors can only increase.—
James Edward Mills,
Outside,
15 Mar. 2026
-
And before the shoes move on, every single pair receives a handwritten note with a message of hope and encouragement.—
Abraham Nudelstejer,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Carolyn McCrady, member of GARD, said the organization wants Gary to enact a one-year moratorium on data center considerations, specifically because of the lack of transparency, tax incentives, environmental impact, and the lack of job creation.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Planning for a future Winter Olympics could even provide the incentive — and deadline — to improve this corridor, already one of Amtrak’s busiest sections.—
Robert Carroll,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2022, the economy was still rebounding strongly from COVID, with the vestiges of a big fiscal stimulus at its back.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
While intended as a pandemic-era stimulus program, the breakthrough measure was seen as boosting the euro’s status as reserve asset.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These reactions are common and typically reflect difficulty trusting the body rather than a lack of motivation or effort.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The primary motivation behind the podcast is to position Bank of America as a provider of ‘trusted insight’ in a fast-moving and complex tech landscape.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The over-the-top excess twinned with control may seem appealing in a world where smartphones offer a mindless, constant and banal source of stimulation.—
Jennifer Pollitt,
The Conversation,
16 Mar. 2026
-
So time to give it a nudge in a better direction by firing up the kettle for a cup of stimulation.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
