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 Neither option instills confidence. Melody Wilding, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026 That approach cuts the costs of medicines, creates local jobs, and instills reliance to better cope with global shocks. Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026 This instills a slower methodical way of shooting, as the user has to look down to check the image. New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2026 What’s more, the 102-year-old company has a distinct corporate culture — one that still pays homage to founder Walt and instills in its employees (known internally as cast members) the need to serve as guardians of Disney’s treasured characters and brands. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026 The detailed yet childlike animation helps bring to life a world only one woman can see and instills levity into this deeply moving story. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026 There is personal growth taking place inside the four walls of this school that instills a sense of somebodyness in its students. Walter Fields, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instills
Verb
  • Silas quietly, succinctly and secretly plants a piece of information in his pocket, which has great value.
    Max Gao, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026
  • And while these plants welcome pollinators of all kinds, deer don't like to dine on them.
    Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Curiosity breeds knowledge, and knowledge breeds resilience.
    Dr. Deepika Chopra, Flow Space, 10 Mar. 2026
  • But success also breeds an inevitable power struggle.
    Hunter Ingram, Variety, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The company embeds in e-commerce payments and point-of-sale systems to show consumers the environmental impact of their purchase and offers them the option to support a local project to compensate for that impact.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Its architecture embeds intelligent agents directly into each aircraft, enabling autonomous formation control, routing, and obstacle avoidance.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Minibars feature a custom bourbon blend from local distillery Jacob Rieger & Company, a thoughtful touch that roots the experience in Missouri.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Louisiana dirty rice is a tasty meat-and-rice dish that roots its flavor in aromatic Cajun seasoning and the holy trinity vegetables.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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