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
When Little John struggles to describe his dream girl, Robin instructs his protegee to sketch an image with words.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
The resolution by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins instructs Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to pursue clawing back money from the Host Committee if the county can determine federal dollars are now paying for expenses that Miami-Dade agreed to cover with its $21 million allocation.
—
Douglas Hanks
june 17,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
In the nearly five-minute clip, a blonde woman with a heavy midwestern accent instructs viewers on how to draw the medication from the vial and where to inject it on the body.
—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
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
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
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
The resolution by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins instructs Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to pursue clawing back money from the Host Committee if the county can determine federal dollars are now paying for expenses that Miami-Dade agreed to cover with its $21 million allocation.
—
Douglas Hanks
june 17,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
In the nearly five-minute clip, a blonde woman with a heavy midwestern accent instructs viewers on how to draw the medication from the vial and where to inject it on the body.
—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
16 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructs
Verb
-
Cole teaches chemistry, serves as head advisor for the school’s Model United Nations program and is the head coach for the girls bowling team.
-
This fun, beginner-friendly class teaches the fundamentals of Texas Hold’em, giving you the confidence to join a friendly game.
Verb
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Marketing informs customer experience strategy, supports product prioritization, shapes pricing decisions, identifies emerging growth opportunities and helps leadership understand how customer expectations are evolving.
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Having a location informs the characters… like that vibe in Alexander’s Payne’s films.
Verb
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This is how a San Diegan tells time, but yes.
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Based on photos and videos from Venezuela, the damage appears to be quite extensive, reporter John Otis tells Up First.
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
-
Texas, which educates roughly 1 in 10 of the nation’s public school students, has been at the forefront of a charge by conservatives to incorporate more religion into classrooms.
Verb
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To get around the closure, Caltrans District 3 advises motorists to merge onto westbound Interstate 80, take the Kidwell Road exit, turn left onto Kidwell Road and then turn left onto the eastbound Interstate 80 on-ramp.
-
Don’t wait to go to a health care provider, the CDC advises.
Verb
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Corlys orders his men to thread the rocky Dragonstone pass at low tide, even relieving the helmsman of the ship’s wheel at the crucial moment.
-
Agent Greer orders him to drop the weapon.
Verb
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German news magazine Der Spiegel asks its readers.
-
Languedoc asks visitors to think differently.
Verb
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Known to get into the minutiae of coding himself, Andreou actively participates in building tools, with a vibrant personality that commands the room.
-
If forced to pick sides, a lot of people will choose Apple, which commands extraordinary consumer loyalty.
Cite this Entry
“Instructs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructs. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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