Synonyms of instructing

instructing

verb

present participle of instruct

1

as in teaching

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field

spent his military career instructing young pilots

Synonyms & Similar Words

• teaching
• educating
• training
• indoctrinating
• schooling
• tutoring
• guiding
• lecturing
• coaching
• informing
• preparing
• lessoning
• mentoring
• preaching
• priming
• leading
• grounding
• instilling
• directing
• drilling
• introducing
• inculcating
• showing
• implanting
• familiarizing
• moralizing
• qualifying
• initiating
• edifying
• catechizing
• enlightening
• rearing
• retraining
• habilitating
• briefing
• homeschooling
• fitting
• imparting (to)
• reeducating
• versing
• reteaching
• reschooling

2

as in informing

to give information to

instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system

Synonyms & Similar Words

• informing
• advising
• telling
• teaching
• briefing
• educating
• acquainting
• familiarizing
• apprising
• notifying
• enlightening
• alerting
• clearing
• filling in
• versing
• catching up
• hipping
• lecturing
• keeping (someone) posted
• letting someone know
• assuring
• convincing
• advertising
• reassuring
• clueing (in)
• wising (up)
• certifying
• disclosing (to)
• announcing (to)
• tutoring
• schooling
• warranting
• disabusing
• undeceiving
• disillusioning
• disenchanting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misleading
• misinforming

3

as in telling

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority

the proctors instructed everyone to put their pencils down and hand in their tests

Synonyms & Similar Words

• telling
• ordering
• asking
• commanding
• directing
• advising
• enjoining
• begging
• bidding
• requesting
• charging
• warning
• adjuring
• appointing
• requiring
• petitioning
• authorizing
• bossing (around)
• supervising
• forcing
• entreating
• assigning
• controlling
• managing
• beseeching
• commissioning
• coercing
• leading
• overseeing
• counseling
• obliging
• conducting
• compelling
• constraining
• superintending

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obeying
• following
• keeping
• observing
• complying (with)
• minding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of instructing

For weeks Donnie had been sending her money, and instructing her to deposit it into the nanny’s account. — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Lagos shared that many athletic directors in her section are often teachers who take on the role of instructing students and then doing the full administrative labor required to help teams cycle through their schedules. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 14 July 2026

Photo provided Meanwhile, a man believed to be a cop approaches the wrong-way driver, instructing him to get out of the car. — Jenna Deangelis, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Apple alleges that Tan used confidential company information when recruiting candidates, including instructing them to bring Apple parts during the interview process. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Third, instead of just instructing, provide AI with tools for specific tasks like calculations, as models don't gain capability from mere commands. — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Annemarie Cortez, the principal at an elementary school in Corona, California, told me that many administrators are instructing teachers not to assign full books; they’re supposed to be running discrete reading drills with short excerpts. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Scam warning signs A caller instructing a person not to tell their friends or family about a problem is a big warning sign that the caller has malicious intent, scam experts say. — Ella Moore july 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

These makers are much more reticent about the risks of blurring the once fine line between browsing sites and asking a large language model a question or instructing it to take potentially sensitive actions. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026