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

The man composes his responses with the help of a manual that instructs him on which incoming string of Chinese characters should be answered with which other string of Chinese characters. — Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026

Circe, the poem’s speaker, instructs the nymphs in a recipe for cooking pork. — Bailey Sincox, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026

Semaglutide’s label instructs discontinuation at least two months before a planned pregnancy. — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Carpenter instructs first, grabbing a shallow dish and mixing in some apple cider vinegar along with a few drops of dish soap. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 28 July 2026

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