as in inculcated
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as in planted
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set
a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instilled
William Jones, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
But watching Micah Ski definitely just instilled in this deep drive to not be a skier.
—Outside Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Pilar, a former Ford Agency model and actress, instilled confidence and poise in her kids from an early age.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Michelle reflected on how both of her parents instilled confidence in her from a young age which unquestionably informs her style sensibility to date.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
His mother—central in shaping his early confidence—instilled in him a kind of resilience that would later fuel his global ambitions.
—Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Maye was efficient, didn’t turn the ball over, made plays with his arm and his legs, instilled confidence in his teammates and, most importantly, came away with a 33-27 win in Week 2.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Farming and fishing are the islands’ economic drivers, and the urge to leave is so deeply instilled that the diaspora—spread across the United States, Canada, Brazil, and beyond—is estimated to be six times larger than the population of the islands, a mere 244,000 people (and steadily shrinking).
—Philip Sherburne, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
The art of hitting has also been instilled in the 5-foot-7, 150-pound Koehnemann, who may not be driving the ball over the fence yet but does have a walk-off hit already.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
My father instilled those values in me.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Her father, a Bible scholar and educator, instilled in her an appreciation for the Jewish people’s historical connection to the land of Israel.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
And the Hall of Famer instilled the team with a cheeky can-do mindset that put the Orioles over the top and lingered for decades to come.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2026
Growing up, her mother instilled in her a sense of pride and confidence in her smile.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2026
The trailer depicts the duo navigating Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives, where obedience is instilled into the young female students.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Strait grew up on a ranch—an experience that instilled an early love of ranching.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Mika’s mother - a CPA, professor, and philanthropist - instilled in her an early understanding of legacy as something actively lived and carefully protected.
—William Jones, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
But watching Micah Ski definitely just instilled in this deep drive to not be a skier.
—Outside Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Pilar, a former Ford Agency model and actress, instilled confidence and poise in her kids from an early age.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Michelle reflected on how both of her parents instilled confidence in her from a young age which unquestionably informs her style sensibility to date.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
His mother—central in shaping his early confidence—instilled in him a kind of resilience that would later fuel his global ambitions.
—Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Maye was efficient, didn’t turn the ball over, made plays with his arm and his legs, instilled confidence in his teammates and, most importantly, came away with a 33-27 win in Week 2.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Farming and fishing are the islands’ economic drivers, and the urge to leave is so deeply instilled that the diaspora—spread across the United States, Canada, Brazil, and beyond—is estimated to be six times larger than the population of the islands, a mere 244,000 people (and steadily shrinking).
—Philip Sherburne, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Verb
Building on Ikeno and Davies’ mention of Japan’s agrarian past in their cultural study, Hayama explained to me how this instilled a sense of quiet determination amidst struggles.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
The art of hitting has also been instilled in the 5-foot-7, 150-pound Koehnemann, who may not be driving the ball over the fence yet but does have a walk-off hit already.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
My father instilled those values in me.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Her father, a Bible scholar and educator, instilled in her an appreciation for the Jewish people’s historical connection to the land of Israel.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
And the Hall of Famer instilled the team with a cheeky can-do mindset that put the Orioles over the top and lingered for decades to come.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2026
Growing up, her mother instilled in her a sense of pride and confidence in her smile.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2026
The trailer depicts the duo navigating Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives, where obedience is instilled into the young female students.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Strait grew up on a ranch—an experience that instilled an early love of ranching.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instilled
Verb
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Volunteer Estella King-Smith said a caring community has blossomed from the seeds of love and joy that Fisher has planted.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Purple leaf plum trees are truly gorgeous when first planted, owing to their unusually dark leaf color and cloud of pink or white flowers.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His contention is that the people who inhabit the paintings are breathing a specific spiritual atmosphere, bred by the company that Vermeer kept.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Their Tibetan ancestry dates back thousands of years to when they were bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries.—
Katelyn Chef,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The exodus could weaken the surveillance and counterintelligence apparatus that helped sustain Venezuela’s authoritarian system for years, even as analysts warn that remnants of the network remain deeply embedded and capable of operating in the shadows.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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The letter contained several examples, complete with embedded pictures, explaining how simple text prompts resulted in glossy renderings of Disney characters, including Darth Vader and Iron Man.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Quite a few are still rooted here.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
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The fallout for the actual group, however, rooted itself in reality, with Maddy physically attacking Cassie in front of the audience.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Netflix series tackles the political climate soon after the end of the regime, when there was still an ingrained distrust in public institutions.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
-
How to remove ingrained dirt from a wood floor?—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Patriotism is a value that an IP-dependent tech company fighting Chinese rivals might well be happy to see inculcated in its employees.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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That’s true for Tamma in a different way – it’s inculcated in Tamma that no one will help her but that’s not true.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Now, there is an inherent structure in movies.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
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Endorsing a successor before the primary carries inherent risk and perhaps more so for Newsom, who is positioning himself as a potential leading candidate in the 2028 presidential contest.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gabapentin has proved effective at helping some mastectomy patients with stubborn pain, while others have responded to electrodes implanted in their spinal column, according to the Baylor study, published in 2024.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
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Gabapentin has proved effective at helping some mastectomy patients with stubborn pain, while others have responded to electrodes implanted in their spinal column, according to the Baylor study, published in 2024.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instilled. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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