as in encourages
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 motivates
He was asked what motivates him.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Ask what motivates you to network in the first place.
—Sarah Maokosy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
What motivates your entrepreneurial drive today?
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
That gives me a great sense of satisfaction, keeps me mentally and physically active, and motivates me to keep on keeping on.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
My love for love and support from the people around me [motivates me].
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And Thomas said CNIOs need to speak the language and understand what motivates the staff.
—Lauren Giella
claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Whatever motivates these acts, the fault and the responsibility lie with the perpetrator.
—ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Ask what motivates you to network in the first place.
—Sarah Maokosy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
What motivates your entrepreneurial drive today?
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
That gives me a great sense of satisfaction, keeps me mentally and physically active, and motivates me to keep on keeping on.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
My love for love and support from the people around me [motivates me].
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And Thomas said CNIOs need to speak the language and understand what motivates the staff.
—Lauren Giella
claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Whatever motivates these acts, the fault and the responsibility lie with the perpetrator.
—ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates
Verb
-
Instead of scrolling through Instagram—or, admittedly, hitting the snooze button a few too many times—Vig encourages you to spend that time sprucing up your space.—
Kelsey Mulvey,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In children and adolescents, physical activity promotes bone health; encourages healthy growth and the development of muscle; and improves motor and cognitive development.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With showy wine-red blossoms that perfume the garden with the distinctive aromas of chocolate and vanilla from mid-summer through fall, chocolate cosmos entices butterflies and curious gardeners alike.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The structure is illustrated below, with one player positioned on the byline and another level with the penalty area to form a triangle that entices opponents out to defend.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But André, who Bonitzer has named after the early surrealist André-Aimé-René Masson, soon confronts our man with a situation that — at least on some distant subconscious level — forces him to re-evaluate his metrics.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This structural gap seriously limits access to highly specialized medical care and forces many countries to rely on training centers abroad, creating imbalances in both quality and equity.—
Dr. Victor Raúl Castillo Mantilla,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the final confrontation, Tea persuades Miran to surrender, arguing that doing so will protect his family.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This reflection is what inspires the characters’ personal reflections, their detailing of the mythopoetic wonder of their proximity to the land, their intense solidarity with one another, and their fervent attachment to their individual and collective past.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Beyond the shock factor, Crow hopes her video inspires others with old jetted tubs to check theirs, and encourages empathy for people maintaining older homes.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mercury entering Sagittarius today stimulates your creative faculties.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The low-level, external electrical charge stimulates the body’s internal repair mechanism.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gaining traction among environmental advocates, mechanochemistry induces chemical reactions through basic mechanical energy instead of energy-intensive heat sources.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Perhaps the use of photographs induces a nostalgia for an imagined time before photography existed?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Through her restraint, Roberts provokes in us some semblance of empathy for her character – in a movie where everyone else is basically monstrous.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Every action provokes a reaction.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share