MOTIVATES Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

motivates

verb

present tense third-person singular of motivate

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.

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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 What needs to be consolidated to create a space that motivates you? — Usa Today, USA Today, 19 July 2026 What motivates a Gen Z remote worker differs from that of a Boomer in an office. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 That the notion of being a more perfect union, not the perfect union, is really what motivates me. — NBC news, 5 July 2026 In a broader reflection on his career evolution, Johnson explained what motivates him now. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026 Kim said his father Albert also motivates him on the course and academically as a straight-A student. — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 12 June 2026 This is the critical question that motivates hours of Pinterest perusing. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 June 2026 Understanding the financial spiral that state receivership brings in the event of insolvency motivates me. — Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 26 May 2026 Studies have shown that people with HSAs tend to spend less on healthcare, and such control motivates consumers to demand price transparency and shop for the best value. — Deborah Autor, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates

Verb

The fish were illegally introduced in the 1970s, so the agency encourages anglers to pursue the game fish and keep their catches.

— Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026
The European Union has banned AI that encourages dangerous behavior in vulnerable groups like children, and mandated transparency requirements for other chatbots.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Definition of encourages

Verb

Guadalupe River State Park entices visitors with its cool waters for tubing, paddling, and swimming and family-friendly campgrounds.

— Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
The play, which won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize this year, entices on the page despite seeming overstuffed and curiously decentralized.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of entices

Verb

Rocca forces the playoff by sinking a 65-foot putt on the 18th hole.

— Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
No one forces us to perform the role, the financial rewards for those who make the international list are considerable, and for the most part the enjoyment found on the field makes up for the plentiful aggro off it.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

Joyous Jupiter lifts your 9th House of Travel and Learning, while elusive Neptune inspires your 5th House of Creativity.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
La Albiceleste, which means The White and Sky Blue and is the nickname of Argentina’s team, also inspires another churro in the collection.

— Sarah Moreno Updated July 18, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Definition of inspires

Verb

The percussive vibration unclogs impurities and excess sebum while the accompanying massage motion stimulates blood microcirculation and supports lymphatic drainage—exactly the mechanisms Cirino prioritizes in his professional treatments.

— Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
This could be because glycolic acid stimulates collagen production and cell turnover and proliferation (the production of new skin cells).

— Laura Dorwart, Health, 22 July 2026

Definition of stimulates

Verb

Current through one coil induces a magnetic field in the other, transmitting a data signal.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 8 July 2026
The case drew widespread attention because Dee Dee was suspected of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of abuse in which a caregiver exaggerates, fabricates or induces illness in someone under their care.

— Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

Definition of induces

Verb

In my own research, threatening a man’s sense of manhood – but not a woman’s womanhood – reliably provokes aggression, and the men who react most strongly are those who feel the most pressure to live up to masculine ideals.

— Adam Stanaland, The Conversation, 20 July 2026
However, his light-hearted approach provokes the hostility of the church.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 17 July 2026

Definition of provokes

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motivates

motivating

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“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of motivates

verb

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