instruct

Synonym Chooser

How is the word instruct different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of instruct are discipline, educate, school, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would discipline be a reasonable alternative to instruct?

While in some cases nearly identical to instruct, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When is educate a more appropriate choice than instruct?

The words educate and instruct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When can school be used instead of instruct?

While the synonyms school and instruct are close in meaning, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is it sensible to use teach instead of instruct?

The meanings of teach and instruct largely overlap; however, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When might train be a better fit than instruct?

Although the words train and instruct have much in common, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

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 instruct How to prep for colonoscopy In addition to that liquid diet, that's also when you may be instructed to take the medications provided by your doctor to help clear your bowels. Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 10 July 2025 To avoid immediate legal trouble, victims are often instructed to pay immediately, usually through prepaid gift cards, cryptocurrency ATMs, or wire transfers. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025 In mid-June, the judge found the attorney general in contempt, instructing him to provide her with biweekly updates on how the state was obeying her order blocking enforcement of the immigration law. Jay Weaver july 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025 Visitors are instructed to follow the signs and flags. Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for instruct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instruct
Verb
  • Unschooled children who need to pick up difficult-to-learn skills need to be taught stamina and commitment by their parents, rather than focusing on their happiness or satisfaction in the short term.
    Taylor Grothe, Parents, 9 July 2025
  • In today’s business culture, we are taught to move fast, scale often and optimize endlessly.
    Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • For over 50 years, Travel + Leisure has informed and inspired millions of travelers, offering practical advice, essential travel news, and personal narratives from our network of on-the-ground writers around the world.
    Jamie Hergenrader, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
  • Post-Earnings Positioning: Conversely, traders can wait for the earnings announcement and then evaluate the relationship between immediate and medium-term returns to inform their subsequent trading actions.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Nobody told them to take the president off the stage.
    CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 2025
  • Last Thursday, sources told Ukrainska Pravda that Voronych was approached by an unidentified attacker around 9 a.m. local time and was shot five times with a pistol before the suspect fled.
    Ronn Blitzer , Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • The panel called on the convention crowd to educate themselves on their rights and speak out about their concerns — and not just online.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
  • And as the number of A schools creeps upward, that’s ignited a debate on whether Florida is grading its schools effectively, and whether grade inflation is masking continued difficulties educating students.
    Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Millions of people across the United States have been advised to limit outdoors activity amid concerns over high air pollution levels.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Redmond advises measuring the length, width, and height of your space, then determining where your sofa will be situated.
    Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • At the same time, Trump has ordered billions of dollars in federal research grants to be cut, which would gut research on cancer, HIV, sickle cell disease, and more.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 July 2025
  • At his arraignment Sunday night at Brooklyn Criminal Court, he was ordered held on bail of $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • The department published a serious note to its Facebook page early Monday after the Free Press asked about it.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
  • Fastow started by going door to door to dozens of insurance brokers in San Francisco and asking them about their pain points and most time consuming tasks.
    Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Mize, though, is commanding the ball better than ever before, posting career highs in strike percentage and thriving with a career-best 69.7 first-pitch strike rate.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • Oversight is divided between U.S. Army commands in Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instruct. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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