instills

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 After all, the liberal arts are, at their root, about giving people a well-rounded education that deeply instills critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and analytical skills. Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Davis explains that the knowledge of the show's impact coupled with the legacy of those who paved the way for them, like James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson, instills a sense of pride in the cast. Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 The taboo is calling into question what a society instills in its people—all of its people—without their even noticing. Nina Mesfin, New Yorker, 7 June 2026 An explosion targeting the headquarters of a political party instills fear in a part of the population. ABC News, 11 May 2026 Music is something that instills an immediate reaction. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026 Success instills success and successful outcomes instill pride. Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear. Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026 The first instills obedience; the second, agency. Deborah Kenny, Time, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instills
Verb
  • Spray plants with neem oil, spinosad, or insecticidal soap, though these products must contact the beetles to work.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 23 June 2026
  • Molloy rages to his film crew, and Lestat’s duplicity plants a wedge between the vamps.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Under what’s called the sterile insect technique, the government breeds male screwworm flies that can’t reproduce, then releases them into the wild.
    Ciara McCarthy. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2026
  • Worse, expertise breeds confidence.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Because there’s something about the college environment that really inculcates hierarchy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • That program, called Family Impact Team, embeds family resource specialists with child protection and foster care staffers to connect families with social services like Medicaid.
    CBS News, CBS News, 17 June 2026
  • The collaboration embeds Wisp's consumer-grade platform directly inside Mount Sinai's clinical infrastructure.
    Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Instead, Nowell roots the band’s sound in the mid-’90s and keeps his vocal mannerisms as close to Bradley’s as possible.
    Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
  • Cousteau roots his pitch in economics.
    Justin Worland, Time, 28 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Instills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instills. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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