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 Whether Tlaib is motivated by animus toward Moskowitz and Wasserman Schultz for their censure votes and condemnations of her rhetoric, or by support for their progressive opponents Larkin and Manley — or a combination — is unknown. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 Rather than motivating her to get back into the studio, Cardi, 33, said the complaints can have the opposite effect. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 Continuous learning and insights are key to keeping the team motivated. — Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026 A lot of speech on the far right is motivated by blatant antisemitism. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for motivate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate

Verb

Separating students from those pressures for several hours could encourage face-to-face conversation and give overwhelmed teenagers a genuine break.

— Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Protecting elections and encouraging thoughtful voting is imperative to retake control of our government.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

Topline Consumer prices rose as expected in July, according to Federal data published Wednesday, as analysts projected an in-line inflation report would likely persuade the Federal Reserve not to raise interest rates next month.

— Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Police called in crisis negotiators to persuade the man to surrender as firefighters extinguished the fire.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of persuade

Verb

Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, was forced to roll out a second artificial surface after the World Cup because its first attempt didn’t pass an independent lab test as required by the NFL and NFLPA.

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
The champion faced a challenging opponent, as Garry forced him to work hard for seven takedowns and inflicted some facial damage.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of force

Verb

The houses are capturing spending from wealthy collectors, winning over some former primary-market customers, and using luxury to entice entirely new buyers over to the auction ecosystem.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Fall fashion tends to kickstart our lust for the new season as brands start to launch enticing pre-fall collections.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of entice

Verb

My intent was to inspire him to think about how family events are really important.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
And with The Odyssey putting Homer's world back into the pop-culture spotlight, travelers inspired to plan their own Greek adventure now have one more reason to look beyond the islands.

— Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of inspire

Verb

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Lactobacillus rhamnosus can stimulate immune responses that promote or prevent specific allergic symptoms.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Strength training, in particular, helps stimulate bone growth and may boost bone mineral density.

— Jessica Starr, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026