as in planting
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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Recent Examples of instilling
Carson noted the importance of instilling the belief of American exceptionalism in children.
—
Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
McGonigle, by the way, grew up in Pennsylvania with his dad instilling hitting lessons derived from watching Tony Gwynn.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
The agents and officers aren’t trained in airport security, and critics say the armed officers are instilling fear in American travelers.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Watching players grow, instilling confidence, laughing and, of course, winning with them, is still important for Auriemmma, who with Dailey by his side is in the stretch run of his 41st season and about to turn 72.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
That focusing on strengths, such as literature, humor, music and resilience, is a way of instilling confidence, honor and hope for the future, especially in impressionable youth.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Half of that is instilling that attack mentality.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Thank you to my musical theatre teachers for instilling this in me, and for the years of tough love.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
My dad’s strong work ethic and study skills were inevitably passed down to my siblings, instilling in us a belief that good grades were non-negotiable.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
McGonigle, by the way, grew up in Pennsylvania with his dad instilling hitting lessons derived from watching Tony Gwynn.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
The agents and officers aren’t trained in airport security, and critics say the armed officers are instilling fear in American travelers.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Watching players grow, instilling confidence, laughing and, of course, winning with them, is still important for Auriemmma, who with Dailey by his side is in the stretch run of his 41st season and about to turn 72.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
That focusing on strengths, such as literature, humor, music and resilience, is a way of instilling confidence, honor and hope for the future, especially in impressionable youth.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Half of that is instilling that attack mentality.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Thank you to my musical theatre teachers for instilling this in me, and for the years of tough love.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
My dad’s strong work ethic and study skills were inevitably passed down to my siblings, instilling in us a belief that good grades were non-negotiable.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instilling
Verb
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Politicians planting universal child care programs in rocky soil shouldn’t expect a garden.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
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Others got their hands dirty by planting trees, painting murals or picking up trash along park trails.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hop River Shepherds has been breeding Dutch and German Shepherds for over 25 years, with dozens of dogs successfully placed in sport, protection, service and active pet homes, according to Scott Beebe, owner and founder of the dog kennel.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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Scythia’s plants are its animals, and vice versa, blooming and breeding in alternate generations.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy and depression generally involves implanting an electrical stimulator in the left side of a patient’s chest, where the vagus nerve passes.—
Elizabeth Riley,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
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Attorney Ben Ikuta claims that Acacio continued to perform medical procedures on patients while his license was suspended, including performing transfers and implanting embryos.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Enterprises are now embedding linters, security scanners, and deterministic workflows directly into the agentic loop.—
Mohith Shrivastava,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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This innovation quickly spread to neighboring civilizations, embedding itself in the culinary practices of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instilling. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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