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
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
The jeweler is best known for instilling his fluid gold and diamond pieces with sensuality and movement.
—Jill Newman, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2026
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
The jeweler is best known for instilling his fluid gold and diamond pieces with sensuality and movement.
—Jill Newman, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instilling
Verb
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His mother pathologizing him as somewhat of a sociopath and planting that seed in his head is the bigger issue with Benton.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
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Don’t let the hard work of planning and planting a vegetable garden go to waste.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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She was arraigned on charges of operating an unlicensed dog-breeding facility and wire fraud.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Only through breeding this rose with other types did vivid yellow roses — along with new hybrid colors such as apricot, orange, copper, and reddish-orange — become regular garden fare.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Score and Mills, a Brevard County couple, sued IVF Life — which does business as Fertility Center of Orlando — last month for implanting Score with the the wrong embryo.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Miro’s main app, a productivity software that dates back over a decade, is now embedding AI.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Enter Louis Theroux, a British documentarian known for embedding himself in volatile subcultures and extracting sincere insights.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instilling. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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