INSTILLED Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

instilled 1 of 2

adjective

as in inculcated

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instilled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of instill

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 instilled

Adjective

Our mum’s a voracious reader and really instilled reading. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 May 2026 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

Led by Nasser Larguet, a Moroccan coach who had spent most of his career working inside some of France’s most successful academies, the academy instilled a methodology that eventually created better facilities and coaching in the country. — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026 Born in San Francisco but raised in Fremont, Haggerty grew up in a family that instilled in him the values of community and connection, his son, Sean Haggerty said. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 Avigail Lev, the founder and director at Bay Area CBT Center, notes some of the ways these lessons get instilled through parenting. — Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 5 July 2026 Born in 1790, Force grew up hearing stories from soldiers who had battled the British, which instilled in him a lifelong interest in the fight for independence. — T. H. Breen, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 In the spirit of resourcefulness that Wilson instilled in many of us, Wassmann’s Disco Vision series incorporates upcycled LaserDiscs, a pre-DVD film format discontinued in the early aughts, as diffusers. — Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 27 June 2026 Steve instilled a sense of confidence in Holden, simply by believing in the young man. — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026 During the 2025 postseason, Randle shook his reputation for fading in the playoffs, crediting his perseverance to a mentality instilled in him many years earlier by Bryant. — Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 His dad instilled in him and his siblings that the most important thing was winning, not scoring. — Matthew Ho, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instilled

Adjective

Native culture is an imbedded fact of Minnesota’s history and now the Indian – a brave, a scout, God forbid somebody’s friend — is gone from the flag.

— Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
The device receives a video feed captured by external smart glasses with an embedded camera.

— Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Definition of embedded

Verb

His Hammness does show up, tongue planted firmly in his photogenic cheek, and reminds you that nobody does handsome-guy self-mockery better than Jon Hamm.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026
At Wild Orchard Farmstead on South Korea’s enchanting Jeju Island, regenerative organic tea seeds are planted into the dark, pliable, nutrient-rich soil that allows its roots to grow as deep as the trees are tall.

— Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of planted

Adjective

While new tools like the NWS HeatRisk scale aim to improve public awareness, overcoming ingrained complacency remains a significant challenge.

— Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
The concept became so ingrained at Villanova that the word became near Pavlovian.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 June 2026

Definition of ingrained

Verb

There are both yellow and red tomato varieties bred for heat tolerance, with smaller cherry and plum varieties generally handling high temperatures better than larger varieties.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 28 June 2026
The rash was much milder in mice bred with defective itch-sensing nerve cells.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 June 2026

Definition of bred

Adjective

Low-altitude flying carries inherent risks, including the potential for debris to scatter on the ground and less time for pilots to respond to emergencies.

— Elise Spenner, ABC News, 10 July 2026
And this freedom is inherent in Christ Jesus’ teachings and healings.

— Rob Nofsinger, Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2026

Definition of inherent

Verb

For many Venezuelans, the anger is rooted not in abstract politics but in intensely personal experiences of chaos, helplessness and institutional failure.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
The shoe itself remains fully rooted in Hoka’s performance DNA, even as it is positioned for lifestyle use.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 28 June 2026

Definition of rooted

Verb

We were constantly informed that our purpose was to become genteel and inculcated in Christian virtue.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
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

Definition of inculcated

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“Instilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instilled. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of instilled

adjective

verb

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