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
But winning the Irish Open proved that golf still motivates him to no end.
—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
An inclusive workplace motivates teams, improving performance and job satisfaction.
—Anita Nelson, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The film is based on the 1963 Akira Kurosawa film High and Low, which centers on an executive whose sleek, modern home at the top of a bluff in Yokohama is such a contrast to the slums below that its architecture motivates the film’s central crime.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025
At 78 years old and with so many achievements in your life, what motivates you to keep working?
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2025
And yet, the accolades aren’t what motivates him.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2025
That lack of confidence is charming and funny; when the experts on With Love, Meghan mess up, their humility feels feigned and unnatural, but Martin’s embarrassment only motivates everyone to help him out.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
The tennis pro told Flaunt Magazine in January 2025 that her family motivates her more than anything else.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Mercury in Leo motivates courageous self-definition.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 13 Aug. 2025
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
An inclusive workplace motivates teams, improving performance and job satisfaction.
—Anita Nelson, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The film is based on the 1963 Akira Kurosawa film High and Low, which centers on an executive whose sleek, modern home at the top of a bluff in Yokohama is such a contrast to the slums below that its architecture motivates the film’s central crime.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025
At 78 years old and with so many achievements in your life, what motivates you to keep working?
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2025
And yet, the accolades aren’t what motivates him.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2025
That lack of confidence is charming and funny; when the experts on With Love, Meghan mess up, their humility feels feigned and unnatural, but Martin’s embarrassment only motivates everyone to help him out.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
The tennis pro told Flaunt Magazine in January 2025 that her family motivates her more than anything else.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Mercury in Leo motivates courageous self-definition.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates
Verb
-
Combined, the ingredients are a powerhouse that encourages surface skin cell turnover to give complexions an overall smooth, supple appearance.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Through speculative thinking and the power of the arts, this collection encourages us to see ourselves outside of the constraints that persist today.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Daniels steps up, but Wyatt is right there and forces Daniels to cut back right into Sorrell and Brooks, who split the sack for a loss of 2 yards.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Employers counter that the cost of providing what unions want adversely affects their competitiveness in other states and nations and forces them to raise prices, reduce employment or even leave California to remain solvent.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Cherry persuades Harriet to publicly expose Laura, to talk to journalists and manufacture a viral story.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That insight has guided the team at Typhur, headquartered in San Jose at the heart of Silicon Valley, a location that inspires them to engineer precision with intuitive design.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The chemical targets a different system in the brain than standard antidepressants, triggering the release of glutamate, which stimulates the growth of new synapses between brain cells.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Vähäsarja vigorously rubbed some cups on Landers’s back—cupping creates a vacuum and stimulates blood flow—and turned the whole thing bright pink.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At one point, his inner monologue nearly induces him to reach out to pet a co-worker, David, in the middle of their conversation.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This typically leads to interconnected debt arrangements such that a default by a key market participant induces a cascade of defaults by other participants whose ability to cover their own debt obligations relied on parties who have defaulted.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Criticism triggers defensiveness; defensiveness fuels contempt; contempt provokes stonewalling.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
After a sleepy start to the second half at Old Trafford, the arrival of Benjamin Sesko, and the relocation of Cunha into a deeper position, provokes a fresh wave of interest.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share