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 Leo moon motivates you to take care of routine tasks with ease.
—
Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, high prices motivate oil companies to produce more, prompting them to add production that wouldn't be profitable at lower prices.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026
The looming catastrophe that motivated the activists of the 2010s does not move the voters of the 2020s.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, high prices motivate oil companies to produce more, prompting them to add production that wouldn't be profitable at lower prices.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026
The looming catastrophe that motivated the activists of the 2010s does not move the voters of the 2020s.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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Saturn in your companionable 7th house is encouraging Pluto in your playful 5th house, so the energy of these cosmic powerhouses should be a little less hard to handle and a lot more fun!—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2026
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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,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Paul Revere's engraving depicting the Boston Massacre was another example of using art to persuade people to the Revolutionary cause, Rudnick said.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Ever since the first caveman tricked his neighbor into trading a pile of rocks for some tasty mastodon steaks, con men have been persuading others to act against their own interests.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Staffing shortages have forced some travelers to build in significantly more time before flights – sometimes hours more than usual.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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The Hawkeyes upset Florida’s offensive rhythm to force six turnovers in the first eight minutes, while the Gators missed numerous scoring opportunities close to the basket.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While high prices at the grocery store might entice would-be farmers to start herds, rising input costs and farmland decimated by drought have made entering the profession nearly impossible.—
Anthony Pahnke,
Boston Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
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For those in pursuit of historical sites, its ancient ruins and museums lined with artifacts should entice.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The charity event helps raise money for the Sixers Youth Foundation, a nonprofit started back in 2015, whose mission is to use the power of basketball and the influence of the Sixers to inspire future generations.—
Kerri Corrado,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Third, according to Foligain, scientific research has shown that minoxidil can stimulate follicle activity at the cellular level.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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These vibrations resonate within the sinus cavities, stimulating the surrounding tissues and encouraging natural mucus drainage.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Played in full, Silent Way induces a pervasive nausea, reveling in gawky soundscapes that seem barely able to contain their outsized, clashing ideas.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
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But after the Higgs discovery, the particle physics headlines went quiet again, with searches for other hypothesized particles yielding the sigh-inducing null result.—
Mariangela Lisanti,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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