1
as in teaches
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field
spent his military career instructing young pilots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in informs
to give information to
instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tells
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
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Recent Examples of instructs
In 2012, 73 percent of Coloradans approved Amendment 65, which instructs our legislature and congressional delegation to support a federal constitutional amendment allowing reasonable limits on campaign spending.
—
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Cyrene then instructs her son to appease the nymphs, Eurydice’s companions, and to make funeral offerings to Eurydice’s husband Orpheus.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
In a routine step near the end of a flight, the air traffic controller handling approaches into LaGuardia instructs the pilots of Air Canada Express Flight 8646 pilots to contact the airport’s control tower, which will guide them the rest of the way.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Daisy instructs her to focus on making beds and forget the laundry, but Alesia can’t help herself from folding one million towels in the middle of the boat 40 minutes before the guest’s arrival.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
The memo also instructs department heads to limit discretionary spending until further notice.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026
Stone said parts of the Bible instructs people how to shave.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
To Ikegami, who presented his findings at a recent conference, this suggests that the music instructs us on how to move—and that runners and Parkinson’s patients, for example, might get better results with vertical music, whereas horizontal music lends itself to stretching and yoga.
—Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
The governor’s order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Cyrene then instructs her son to appease the nymphs, Eurydice’s companions, and to make funeral offerings to Eurydice’s husband Orpheus.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
In a routine step near the end of a flight, the air traffic controller handling approaches into LaGuardia instructs the pilots of Air Canada Express Flight 8646 pilots to contact the airport’s control tower, which will guide them the rest of the way.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Daisy instructs her to focus on making beds and forget the laundry, but Alesia can’t help herself from folding one million towels in the middle of the boat 40 minutes before the guest’s arrival.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
The memo also instructs department heads to limit discretionary spending until further notice.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026
Stone said parts of the Bible instructs people how to shave.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
To Ikegami, who presented his findings at a recent conference, this suggests that the music instructs us on how to move—and that runners and Parkinson’s patients, for example, might get better results with vertical music, whereas horizontal music lends itself to stretching and yoga.
—Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
The governor’s order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructs
Verb
-
History teaches us the cost of failing to act in time.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Power teaches people what to fear, how to name danger, and where to direct their apprehension.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That experience directly informs how the Lynx XM30 is built, from survivability to mission effectiveness.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Some other Mayday operative will swing by the diner to pick Daisy up soon, June informs her.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The poem tells the story of the seduction of a sixteen-year-old girl by the watermonster, a mythical figure, weaving together themes of place, identity, trauma, and transformation.—
Patrick Dundon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, carbs—the body’s primary energy source—increase your blood sugar, or blood glucose, and, in turn, trigger the pancreas to secrete insulin (a hormone that tells the body’s cells to absorb glucose to prevent an overload).—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Gordon has led the Sacramento County Office of Education since 2004, overseeing an agency that directly educates more than 30,000 children and adults each year and provides support services to more than 250,000 students across 13 districts, according to previous Bee reporting.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To escape a sinking car, the agency advises drivers to stay calm, unbuckle seat belts, roll down or break a window, and get out before the car fills with water.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
If bitten, Dowd advises snake bite victims to remain calm, limit movement to slow the spread of venom and call 911 immediately.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, supreme commander of the Luftwaffe, Hitler’s second in command, and the highest-ranking surviving Nazi leader, steps out of the car, stands at attention to announce his surrender, and orders the soldiers to carry his bags.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Although the decision orders a re-sentencing, there's a chance Peters will be handed the same sentence again.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the beginning of the story, Bruce asks Louise to rate her pain from one to ten—something that medical professionals are trained to do.—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
With his approval rating slipping and scrutiny mounting over how his office communicates with Marylanders, this week’s reader poll asks whether voters still trust the governor to level with the public.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Because of his swing, Lincoln-Way Central’s Joey Vellenga commands attention.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Very Cherry reclaimed the crown in 2003 and has remained the top seller since, but Buttered Popcorn still commands a devoted following.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instructs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructs. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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