as in to encourage
to rouse to action or activity
The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.
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Recent Examples of motivate
The cold grifter, on the other hand, is usually motivated by sociopathy or emotional detachment.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
But pressures from financial commitments and the necessity to explore new revenue streams have motivated the company to change its mind.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
And both played for coaches who were experts at the mental game, famous for pushing the right buttons to motivate quarterbacks and everyone around them.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
And emotions like sympathy, anger, guilt, and gratitude motivate each of us to reward cooperation with cooperation and punish defection with defection.
—Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
But pressures from financial commitments and the necessity to explore new revenue streams have motivated the company to change its mind.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
And both played for coaches who were experts at the mental game, famous for pushing the right buttons to motivate quarterbacks and everyone around them.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
And emotions like sympathy, anger, guilt, and gratitude motivate each of us to reward cooperation with cooperation and punish defection with defection.
—Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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However, Ederheimer added that mandatory minimum sentences may not actually encourage violent offenders not to commit crimes, further adding to the complex balance of maintaining justice and community safety.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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In several high-profile cases, parents say AI chatbots encouraged their teens to commit suicide.—
Abby McCloskey,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Is the rewriting of history or attacks on universities—are these part of an attempt to persuade Americans to think differently about elections?—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
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The Spirit attempted to negotiate a lucrative contract extension and persuade her not to leave for Europe.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With temperatures climbing above freezing and sunny skies melting half the structure, they were forced to start over entirely.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Twenty-two people — two civilians and 20 firefighters — were injured and thousands were forced to evacuate.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For patient investors who can tolerate volatility, MO at $62 appears enticing.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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While this normally wouldn’t entice stargazers to brave the cold weather, what makes the Ursids so intriguing is their unpredictability.—
Michael d'Estries,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The dual exhibition at the California Surf Museum and Oceanside Museum of Art explores the influence of surfing on art inspired by the beach lifestyle.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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Religion does hold that unwavering power, able to inspire and heal while making others wary and uncomfortable.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This increases demand for low-carbon products, stimulates decarbonisation and strengthens interest in DRI/HBI feedstock, which Ukraine can supply.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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The massage soothes the baby by stimulating digestion at home or during travel and operates on two AA batteries.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This nostalgia-inducing activity requires far less snow and is much more accessible than skiing.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
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Expected to begin on Friday and last through Monday, CNN reported that winter storm Fern could drop more than a foot of snow, as well as potentially blackout-inducing ice storms across a 1,500-mile swath from Texas to the Northeast, with 10 states already declaring states of emergency.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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