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
Rhys, long an expert at instilling indignation with soulful sentiment, gets pushed further here.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Béliard credits Sprecher with instilling those from Day One.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 28 Apr. 2026
Ross credited her mother, Susie Talley, with encouraging her to perform and instilling the importance of family.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
Just keep instilling confidence in me.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The college aims to give its students an education that is not just about their work but about their lives—instilling in them a sense of purpose, restoring their feeling of competence, teaching them virtue.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Pinney credits her parents and grandparents for instilling the values of being neighborly and contributing through community volunteering.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Carson noted the importance of instilling the belief of American exceptionalism in children.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 29 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
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Béliard credits Sprecher with instilling those from Day One.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 28 Apr. 2026
Ross credited her mother, Susie Talley, with encouraging her to perform and instilling the importance of family.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
Just keep instilling confidence in me.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The college aims to give its students an education that is not just about their work but about their lives—instilling in them a sense of purpose, restoring their feeling of competence, teaching them virtue.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Pinney credits her parents and grandparents for instilling the values of being neighborly and contributing through community volunteering.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Carson noted the importance of instilling the belief of American exceptionalism in children.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 29 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instilling
Verb
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McCarthy has a deft way with crafting suspense in his script, leading with character first, planting conversational bombs that go off at intervals throughout the plot.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
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Singh recommends planting it under deciduous trees or near hostas and ferns.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Verb
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During the Spanish Civil War, when reliable food sources for families and orphanages were scarce, farms in Asturias, Madrid and Valencia raised around 300 breeding female Spanish giant rabbits to help feed those in need.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
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Because if your yard is breeding mosquitoes, those fixes don’t stand a chance.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
30 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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The University of New England’s recent Industry Exploration Day reimagines traditional career preparation by embedding experiential learning into career development programming and normalizing learning as part of professional practice.—
Ashley Bigda,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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By embedding access, authorship and representation into the filmmaking, the project reflects the principles of self-determination and leadership that the movement demanded.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instilling. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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