1
as in teaching
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field
spent his military career instructing young pilots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in informing
to give information to
instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 instructing
According to MySA, signs appeared at certain Buc-ee’s fuel pumps instructing customers using a credit or debit card to pay at the pump.
—
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 26 Mar. 2026
That sense of normalcy largely held until Wednesday evening, when emergency alerts began chiming on phones across Riyadh, warning residents of an aerial threat and instructing them to remain indoors and away from windows.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
All this while the cashier holds a computer screen to my face instructing me to tap 10%, 15%, 20% or other numbers.
—Michel A. Ibrahim, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
Subsequent footage shows cops instructing Timberlake to complete a series of sobriety tests.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
In a statement to ProPublica, the CDIA highlighted that a notice instructing consumers to first dispute directly had been present in the CFPB complaint portal briefly around 2012.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
In a statement to ProPublica, the CDIA highlighted that a notice instructing consumers to first dispute directly had been present in the CFPB complaint portal briefly around 2012.
—Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 10 Mar. 2026
Udvardy, 27, received a message from a phone number with a United Kingdom country code, instructing her to lose a match at a tournament one rung below the main tour.
—James Hansen, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Activists are also instructing people to keep them out of sight so ICE agents don’t see them and later target them.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 26 Mar. 2026
That sense of normalcy largely held until Wednesday evening, when emergency alerts began chiming on phones across Riyadh, warning residents of an aerial threat and instructing them to remain indoors and away from windows.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
All this while the cashier holds a computer screen to my face instructing me to tap 10%, 15%, 20% or other numbers.
—Michel A. Ibrahim, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
Subsequent footage shows cops instructing Timberlake to complete a series of sobriety tests.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
In a statement to ProPublica, the CDIA highlighted that a notice instructing consumers to first dispute directly had been present in the CFPB complaint portal briefly around 2012.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
In a statement to ProPublica, the CDIA highlighted that a notice instructing consumers to first dispute directly had been present in the CFPB complaint portal briefly around 2012.
—Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 10 Mar. 2026
Udvardy, 27, received a message from a phone number with a United Kingdom country code, instructing her to lose a match at a tournament one rung below the main tour.
—James Hansen, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Activists are also instructing people to keep them out of sight so ICE agents don’t see them and later target them.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructing
Verb
-
Johnson-Swartz was suspended from teaching at STEM School Highlands Ranch after the allegations emerged.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Youth took to the streets to protest schools teaching in the Afrikaans language and the ensuing government crackdown saw hundreds killed.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the collision, the controller could be heard calling out to Flight 8646, informing the crew that assistance was on the way.—
Colleen Mondor,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The Cubs also finalized their opening-day pitching staff Monday by optioning right-hander Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa and informing right-hander Ben Brown that he will be used out of the bullpen.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Because there’s no telling how many times this bell will ring before changes are ushered in.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
American Airlines is telling you why your flight is delayed.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s at least one nonprofit, Thank God for Bitcoin, dedicated to educating Christians and churches about the digital asset.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This is a full structural inversion — not educating people about the exit, but funding it.—
Charles Edward Gehrke,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The agency is advising recipients to cash their checks within 90 days, according to the March 17 release.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Raine Group and JPMorgan Chase are advising the league on the matter.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola was served with a warrant ordering him to appear in court next month in relation to an investigation into a reportedly corrupt contract to provide health and well-being services to police officers, police spokesperson Brig.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Israel has announced multiple expansions of its operations in Lebanon since the Iran war began, including airstrikes across the country and ground forces seizing ground in the south and ordering tens of thousands of civilians to flee.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Sacramento Police Department identified Hernandez as the suspect in the deadly stabbing and released his photo and description in December 2017, asking the public to help find him.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
After asking him to model courage, and to be the container of everyone’s hope—and after so many of Rozos’s peers loudly cheered him on—NYU denied Rozos their diploma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One is by Clare Harner and the other is by Henry Scott Holland, and both approach death with tenderness, but also with a commanding tone fitting the imperious Ann.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Willis, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract, could be commanding $50 million or more per season in the summer of 2028.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instructing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
