instigation

noun

Definition of instigationnext
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 While in custody, new evidence caused Kerry to be rearrested under suspicion of commission, preparation, or instigation of an act of terrorism, reports ABC News. — Sophia Mandt, The Washington Examiner, 20 July 2026 He has been rearrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, Counter Terrorism Policing South East said. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 July 2026 They are accused of propaganda against the constitutional order and instigation to commit crimes, and if found guilty could be sentenced to several years in prison. — Sarah Moreno june 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigation
  1. excitement
  2. impetus
  3. encouragement
  4. incentive
  5. stimulus
  6. motivation
  7. stimulation
Noun
  • The Aries Moon in your 11th House of Friends squares Mercury in your 2nd House of Resources, so group excitement could bump into budget reality.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The muscles in Lola Petticrew’s face twitch ever so slightly, indicating Catherine’s excitement that the police are now in possession of this picture.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of excitement
Noun
  • The impetus for this work, according to the researchers, is that drug-resistant bacteria are rife and growing.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • For many, discovering quaint antique shops is the impetus for hopping in the car and taking a leisurely drive.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of impetus
Noun
  • Officials are asking residents to continue to pray and send words of encouragement and support to those affected by the flooding.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Spacing of races will be important as encouragement for participation in the six-race series in a five-month span.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of encouragement
Noun
  • In order to convince people to replace solo driving with mass transit, LA Metro is offering cash incentives for people to park at least one of their cars at home and try walking, bike share, carpooling or taking a train or bus.
    — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The move comes nearly two years after the City of Fort Worth approved more than $70 million in incentives to support Phase II redevelopment.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of incentive
Noun
  • The government stimulus, however, threatened to deepen the fiscal challenges faced by Japan, whose public debt stands at more than 200% of gross domestic product.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And Obama was being seen at the time as being completely irresponsible in pursuing stimulus.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Definition of stimulus
Noun
  • Essential California sat down with Ben Orbison, FOLAR’s director of strategic communications, and spoke about festival highlights and motivations.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Cross-functional access can then expand gradually, creating new opportunities while maintaining focus and motivation for growth.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of motivation
Noun
  • These are often conditions that mostly affect women and that can leave patients completely disabled—sensitive to light and sound, spending most of their time in a completely dark room with no stimulation.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Let’s let go of the self-identification with boredom or over-stimulation claiming to overshadow our path to progress.
    — Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulation

Browse Nearby Words

instigating
instigation
instigations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Instigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigation. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on instigation

Nglish: Translation of instigation for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All