instills

Definition of instillsnext
present tense third-person singular of instill
as in plants
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

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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 instills My earthy and meditative Mars gives me a reflective nature and also instills in me a zest for positivity. Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025 Likewise, any major creator of AI models unwittingly instills biases in its chatbots that are then difficult to expunge. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2025 Lyster said the way Amazon handles disability accommodation requests instills fear of termination or retaliation in its employees. Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 13 Nov. 2025 Now a community organizer and member of an anti-violence collective who works in the favela, Medeiros is no stranger to how the Red Command instills fear in its territories. Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025 Do stretches, deep breathing, meditation or anything that engages your physical body and instills calm. Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025 This path instills our culture, standards and patient-first philosophy from the start. Prof. Dr. Med. Mazda Farshad, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 That’s why activating existing natural strengths not only boosts the leader’s self-confidence but also instills trust in the team. Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 As Defense Secretary Dan Ogilvy (Pip Carter) is appointed as interim Prime Minister, Livingston deploys the military into the streets and instills a 24-hour media blackout. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instills
Verb
  • That encounter plants a seed that bears bitter fruit in the 1988 chapter once teenage Noor (now played by Muhammad Abed Elrahman) finds himself in the middle of a protest that spirals out of control.
    Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
  • There’s a distinct aroma that follows Tacos Los Cholos whenever the growing restaurant chain plants roots, the scent of mesquite smoke and prime meats hitting the grill.
    Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Upside Down is not a mirror dimension, but actually a wormhole/bridge to a separate dystopian world, The Abyss, which breeds all the Demogorgons and Demodogs.
    Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 29 Dec. 2025
  • But everything else about Kelli breeds skepticism.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Berman embeds these views in her heroines’ discussions about writing, which are the way their friendship grows.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
  • More specifically, Chastain’s character embeds herself on dark-web message boards spreading white-supremacist rhetoric.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Natural rock formations rise through the living room floor, a detail that roots the design in the hillside itself, and a full renovation of an existing home brought it in line with the style of the main house while still maintaining its own identity.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Rising seas could swallow the land that roots our identity.
    Feleti Penitala Teo, Time, 22 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instills. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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