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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motivate
Denholm later defended Musk's pay, telling shareholders that the large sum was needed to keep the CEO motivated.
—
Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2025
Teams are motivated by proximity to peers who are equally committed and inspired.
—Ryan Brinkhurst, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The shooting of former Broncos player Josh Reynolds and his friend while they were chased by a dozen conspirators across Denver last year was not motivated by Reynolds’ status as an NFL player, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said this week.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
The thought of those living with cancer is what motivates Merhige during some of her darkest, most grueling hours in the water.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2025
Teams are motivated by proximity to peers who are equally committed and inspired.
—Ryan Brinkhurst, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The shooting of former Broncos player Josh Reynolds and his friend while they were chased by a dozen conspirators across Denver last year was not motivated by Reynolds’ status as an NFL player, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said this week.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
The thought of those living with cancer is what motivates Merhige during some of her darkest, most grueling hours in the water.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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Valencia said the seeds encourage rodents to enter the stadium and that the machines required to clean up the shells were causing noise pollution for those living close to their Mestalla stadium.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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During the Obama administration, beginning in 2009 and culminating with major rule expansions in 2012, changes to federal economy regulations inadvertently encouraged automakers to build bigger, heavier vehicles instead of lighter, more efficient ones.—
Chadwick Hagan,
National Review,
1 May 2025
Verb
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But before the divorce took effect, a pro-Kremlin group persuaded the Russian state prosecutor’s office to investigate Smolny’s ties to Soros, whose NGOs had been outlawed in the country.—
Anastasiia Vorozhtsova,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
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Samson is sent to Berlin to bring out a double agent, then to Mexico to try to persuade a KGB major to defect, using his childhood friend's wife as bait.—
Paul Vidich,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Five years after the pandemic forced children into remote instruction, two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders still cannot read at grade level.—
K. Dara Hill,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2025
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If insurance continues to be unavailable and agencies continue to shut down, thousands of children will be forced into a state system that has neither the room nor the money to care for almost 15,000 more children.—
Joseph T. Monahan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rewarding a top-10 goal-scorer with the Selke could entice voters.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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The state’s Department of Insurance is rolling out a series of policy changes aimed at enticing insurers back into the market.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This is a great opportunity for communities to honor the country’s past, celebrate its present, and inspire its future through events and video storytelling.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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Known for supporting individuals with autism — an effort inspired by his son, Jonathan — Eichenholz is using the house in part to support Jonathan’s Landing Foundation, which seeks to create housing for 500 people and 5,000 jobs to help adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).—
Laura Kinsler,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Laser resurfacing uses the same technology to remove the top layer of skin and stimulate collagen production.—
Carrie Madormo, RN, MPH,
Verywell Health,
30 Apr. 2025
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Monthly Job Swaps: Nothing stimulates understanding and empathy more than walking in someone else's shoes.—
Kelly Leonard,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In fact, it has been observed that when metamorphosis was induced in axolotls, their ability to regenerate was affected, according to a March 2022 study published in Developmental Dynamics.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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He’s been one of this young season’s best pitchers for inducing grounders.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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