MOTIVATE Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

motivate

verb

Definition of motivate

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of motivate Geminis are known to plant seeds that can frustrate or motivate; in this case, Paige intentionally does both. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 The cost of the services was an issue, officials said, but the decisions were motivated mainly by resident’s concerns. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026 Stock Up Jaylen Wright has put together a series of good practices, showcasing the explosive first step that motivated the Dolphins to select the former Tennessee standout in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft. — Omar Kelly august 6, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 People high in this trait experience unresolved questions as genuinely uncomfortable and are motivated to close them. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for motivate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate

Verb

Boundless San Francisco, which encourages out-of-the-box ideas, echoes the venture capital ethos, Crankstart Chief Executive Officer Missy Narula said.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
The communication drills are intended to encourage first-line fighters to be more self-reliant and effective in battle, experts say.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

Ted was genuinely out of his depth, the conflicts felt earned, and the show still had to persuade audiences that its relentless optimism wasn’t naïve.

— Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
The research body also found that as part of the same effort, the agent tried to contact real people directly, sending messages and files to persuade them to run malicious code.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of persuade

Verb

The exact timetable for his recovery isn’t known; the injury will force him out of at least a portion of the regular season.

— Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of force

Verb

There could be enough of the Heat’s mid-level exception available to entice Klay Thompson into taking a Mavericks buyout.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
The main sticking point is Real Madrid’s failure to offer something that entices both City and the player, whose contract expires at the Etihad on June 30, 2027.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of entice

Verb

The announcement of a new investor without any details about who that investor is will also not exactly inspire confidence.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
The character at its center is Bret Easton Ellis — played here by Igby Rigney, who does look eerily like the author’s high-school yearbook photo — and the book and series are largely inspired by Ellis’s real-life senior year at the Buckley School.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of inspire

Verb

My grandparents have found that compression socks help relieve some of the discomfort and swelling that comes from prolonged restricted movement by stimulating circulation in your legs.

— Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026
Some observers expect the BOJ to raise interest rates over the coming months, but such a move could work against efforts to stimulate the economy.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026