1
as in excitements
something that arouses a strong response from another
without instigation of any kind, the man suddenly threw a punch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in incentives
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigations
Noun
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And that’s because the Biden-era incentives were, in large part, about China, too, with provisions to incentivize American battery factories and penalties for companies that didn’t build enough in the US.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025 -
Workers are given incentives to leave the union, or threatened.—
Sourcing Journal,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ward and Curlee also started the app Counterbalance, which provides daily encouragements, recipes, community and more.—
Emy LaCroix,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
To wit, at times the camera tracks Hedda’s movements in long, unbroken takes as if engaged in an endless, ongoing search for her motivations—and interiority.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Trump’s comment raises questions about the independence of federal prosecutors and the appearance of political motivations behind high-profile investigations.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Instigations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigations. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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