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
At the time, Aramburo was 20 years old and still studying in Chicago, but the excitement of experiencing in person everything that her family had told her about the festivities, motivated her to make the trip.
—
Karen Esquivel, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Those changes were directly motivated by the underwhelming results the Twins have gotten internationally.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
It was also made part of the PUSH-Excel program designed to motivate and encourage Black students.
—CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Their offense, even though run largely through the league MVP, hits the open man, and in turn, every player on the Thunder roster is motivated to compete on the defensive end and on hustle plays.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Karen Esquivel, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Those changes were directly motivated by the underwhelming results the Twins have gotten internationally.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
It was also made part of the PUSH-Excel program designed to motivate and encourage Black students.
—CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Their offense, even though run largely through the league MVP, hits the open man, and in turn, every player on the Thunder roster is motivated to compete on the defensive end and on hustle plays.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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One particular point of scrutiny was a $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem that encouraged people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While working there, Anderson persuaded Burkle to provide him with $100,000 in seed capital to launch his lobbying firm Platinum Advisors, according to the complaint filed by Burkle’s company.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Wellington said the victim was persuaded to convert assets into gold and provided it to individuals who posed as couriers.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) celebrates with defenseman Sam Rinzel (6) and center Ryan Donato (8) after scoring a goal to force overtime late in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart helped spearhead a strong defensive effort that held New York to less than 100 points and forced eight key turnovers late in the game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mixing powdered sugar with baking soda will entice ants to consume the mixture.—
Rabekah Henderson,
The Spruce,
3 Mar. 2026
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More than a century later, there are more than 400 such restaurants across the five boroughs, enticing a far more diverse array of diners.—
Sarah Khan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The original 1935 film that inspired Gyllenhaal’s version also followed that vein.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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His name comes from the house elf in the Harry Potter books, inspired by his prominent ears.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another benefit of cutting rates would be stimulating the purchase of steel-heavy purchases like appliances and cars, Kopf said.—
Brian Cheung,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
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Science suggests that drinking warm water in the morning may ease constipation and stimulate digestion, but evidence on the ideal timing or temperature is limited.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The French Quarter is a place that always induces a fuguelike headspace for me.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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Under the penalty induced pressure, Amery goalie Carter Meyer registered 29 saves, including 22 over the final two periods.—
Jim Hoehn,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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