instill

as in to plant
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb instill differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of instill are implant, inculcate, infix, and inseminate. While all these words mean "to introduce into the mind," instill stresses gradual, gentle imparting of knowledge over a long period of time.

instill traditional values in your children

When would implant be a good substitute for instill?

While in some cases nearly identical to instill, implant implies teaching that makes for permanence of what is taught.

implanted a love of reading in her students

Where would inculcate be a reasonable alternative to instill?

While the synonyms inculcate and instill are close in meaning, inculcate implies persistent or repeated efforts to impress on the mind.

tried to inculcate in him high moral standards

When could infix be used to replace instill?

Although the words infix and instill have much in common, infix stresses firmly inculcating a habit of thought.

infixed a chronic cynicism

In what contexts can inseminate take the place of instill?

The meanings of inseminate and instill largely overlap; however, inseminate applies to a sowing of ideas in many minds so that they spread through a class or nation.

inseminated an unquestioning faith in technology

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 instill From an early age, Dave instilled Denise and her siblings with the importance of financial literacy. Alex Gurley, People.com, 26 June 2025 Actress Keke Palmer was a millionaire at just the age of 12, but she’s always stuck by a frugal lifestyle that her parents instilled in her. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 24 June 2025 Colt got back to work, bringing the same energy and intensity his father instilled in him. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025 More than a week after President Trump’s immigration raids first instilled terror in Los Angeles communities, the federal sweeps have had a profound chilling effect in the overwhelmingly Latino, working-class neighborhood just east of downtown. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for instill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instill
Verb
  • Landscapers are spreading the good word: Never plant a Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana).
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
  • How well plants are equipped to manage heat depends not only on the type of plant (cool-season vs. heat-loving plants) but also on their growth stage (newly planted vs. established and mature).
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • The residue from earlier high tide lines — wrack lines, as they are called — sits just outside some of the fencing around the nest, even pushing through it in spots, jeopardizing the habitat these birds need to breed.
    Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2025
  • Iranians are also religious and ethnic minorities in the wider world, and that has bred existential fears of foreign conquest.
    Robin Wright, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Imbued with empathy, Canseco is poised to extend the ambassador mentality inculcated at the fair in her first-in-her-family journey to college.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
  • Abe was part of a conservative faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and known for his association with Nippon Kaigi, an influential conservative organization that among other goals advocated teaching Japanese history to inculcate national pride.
    Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2022
Verb
  • Beneath the surface of its superlatives lies depth — thoughtful nods to heritage, reinterpretations of tradition and layers of cultural meaning embedded in contemporary forms.
    Natasha Amar, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • His radio crackled with English voices; Estonian soldiers communicate in English, for the benefit of the British soldiers embedded in their brigade, but also as a training measure for a wider conflict, when units from dozens of NATO militaries would presumably be in the fight.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Young and shallowly rooted plants are the most impacted by heat and drought, leaving them vulnerable to diseases and pests.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
  • The green leaves grow to 2 inches long, and the leafy shoots spread along the ground, rooting at the nodes.
    Judy Nauseef, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instill. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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