Synonyms of instructs

instructs

verb

present tense third-person singular of instruct

1

as in teaches

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field

spent his military career instructing young pilots

Synonyms & Similar Words

• teaches
• educates
• schools
• indoctrinates
• lessons
• trains
• tutors
• informs
• prepares
• coaches
• guides
• preaches
• instills
• directs
• lectures
• grounds
• leads
• mentors
• moralizes
• introduces
• qualifies
• inculcates
• initiates
• drills
• enlightens
• edifies
• familiarizes
• primes
• shows
• imparts (to)
• retrains
• verses
• fits
• habilitates
• briefs
• rears
• implants
• homeschools
• catechizes
• reteaches
• reeducates
• reschools

2

as in informs

to give information to

instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system

Synonyms & Similar Words

• informs
• advises
• tells
• teaches
• educates
• briefs
• apprises
• acquaints
• familiarizes
• enlightens
• notifies
• clears
• clues (in)
• verses
• hips
• fills in
• convinces
• alerts
• advertises
• assures
• catches up
• reassures
• wises (up)
• lets someone know
• keeps (someone) posted
• certifies
• discloses (to)
• announces (to)
• lectures
• schools
• warrants
• tutors
• disabuses
• disenchants
• undeceives
• disillusions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misleads
• misinforms

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

• tells
• orders
• asks
• commands
• directs
• advises
• enjoins
• begs
• warns
• bosses (around)
• bids
• adjures
• appoints
• requires
• requests
• authorizes
• compels
• charges
• assigns
• entreats
• beseeches
• supervises
• obliges
• counsels
• manages
• forces
• leads
• conducts
• oversees
• petitions
• constrains
• coerces
• controls
• superintends
• commissions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follows
• minds
• obeys
• observes
• keeps
• complies (with)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of instructs

While the robot is adjusting the bed, the user instructs it to stop midway through the task. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

Erez picks it up, stares through the crosshairs, as a voice on the phone instructs them how to aim and shoot. — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026

Diranersen is what’s called an antisense oligonucleotide that doesn't attack tau buildup but instead instructs a tau-producing gene to produce less. — ABC News, 14 July 2026

Diranersen is what’s called an antisense oligonucleotide that doesn’t attack tau buildup but instead instructs a tau-producing gene to produce less. — Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 14 July 2026

That runs counter to the state’s guidance, which instructs regional planning agencies to assess service by the total numbers of trains. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026

When a developer, for instance, instructs a coding agent to clone a popular new repository, the LLM hallucinates its correct location up to 85 percent of the time. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

The commission resolution, approved June 26 with Commissioner Miguel Gabela absent, instructs City Attorney George Wysong to explore legal avenues to blunt Live Local’s impact on the city, including potentially suing the state. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

In addition, the memo instructs the EPA to consider easing some civil enforcement against people who repair their own vehicles in good faith and restore them to their original operating condition. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026