INSTRUCTS Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

instructs

verb

present tense third-person singular of instruct

as in teaches

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field spent his military career instructing young pilots

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in informs

to give information to instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 instructs The cancer instructs the body to build super roadways (blood vessels) and homes (tumor cells) resistant to decay. —

Charles J. Dimitroff, The Conversation, 12 June 2026 When Gustavo Dudamel instructs the Los Angeles Philharmonic to stand at a curtain call, the players stand. —

Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 Emmett holds the two men at gunpoint and instructs them to transport him to a specific location to evade capture. —

Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026 This portion instructs Claude to be attentive to the well-being of users. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 When the external environment reaches above 25 degrees Celsius, or 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the brain’s hypothalamus instructs the glands to release sweat. —

Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2026 The legislation, which won't take effect until after the November 2026 election, instructs the secretary of the Senate to place senators' paychecks on hold during the duration of any future federal government shutdowns. —

Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 14 May 2026 The memo instructs creators who sign on to make new social media accounts under usernames that reflect their names or a nickname, avoiding brands, random numbers or anything that looks like spam. —

Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026 The movie opens with Lucila (Anna Díaz, the sole reason to keep watching) being woken by her mother Isabel (Adriana Paz, from Emilia Perez), who instructs her to take care of her little brother before disappearing to Spain. —

David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructs

Verb

Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, said regardless of the circumstances, the officer should not have fired at the car.

— Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
De Marco, who teaches a daily morning yoga class, meticulously tends to every detail of the space with a team of wellness therapists trained in ancient Ayurvedic modalities.

— Sandra Guzmán, USA Today, 18 June 2026