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 imminent diplomatic normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia was what motivated Hamas to conduct its massive attack on civilians on October 7th.
—
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Jalen has credited his parents with motivating him to excel on and off the court.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Kim said his father Albert also motivates him on the course and academically as a straight-A student.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
Hold grace for others, for yourselves, lean on your elders, ask questions, understand their struggles, because that helps to inform and motivate.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Jalen has credited his parents with motivating him to excel on and off the court.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Kim said his father Albert also motivates him on the course and academically as a straight-A student.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
Hold grace for others, for yourselves, lean on your elders, ask questions, understand their struggles, because that helps to inform and motivate.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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While most college broadcast-journalism programs tend to encourage would-be talent to ditch their regional accents in favor of a more neutral, untraceable delivery, TV pros who came up in the bigs aren’t subject to that sort of verbal nullification.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
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The event, called Fulfillment Center, was geared toward people of all ages who were encouraged to come, put their phone in a cotton bag and engage with one of the many activities centered around reading, writing, making and playing at a long, communal table.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The administration has persuaded several dozen countries to take in deportees who are not their own citizens, including African countries plagued by armed conflict, civil unrest and political turmoil, like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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Pino’s attorneys were unsuccessful in persuading Tinkler Mendez to bar the claim from being mentioned in the trial.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Initiative, dubbed a ‘Swiss Brexit,’ sought binding limits by 2050, forcing strict curbs on asylum, family reunification and work permits, potentially dismantling Switzerland’s deal on free movement of people and close EU ties.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
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But this disjointed medley, performed by Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty, offered little context for what is meant to be exciting or enticing about the show.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
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Starter Mason Cook enticed Deiten Lachance into a 6-4-3 double play that scored the run.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
Verb
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When reconstructing the Inquisition trial of a sixteenth-century northern Italian miller, historian Carlo Ginzburg encountered a line that would eventually inspire the title of his paradigm-shifting study The Cheese and the Worms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Though all eyes will be on North America, the national pride this event inspires – and the staggered start times that will allow fans watching back in their home countries to take in their teams during sort-of-normal hours – will stir incredible excitement and patriotism all around the world.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Performance benefits often persist even in habitual users, even if the stimulating feel-good buzz fades.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
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Retinoids stimulate fibroblast cells to produce collagen, and this takes time.—
Ellie Davis,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Yamamoto stayed in for one more batter, inducing Quero to fly out, before handing the ball to manager Dave Roberts.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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But Kay buckled down and struck out Andy Pages and induced a fly ball from Freddie Freeman to escape the jam.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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