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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Recent Examples of motivates
At 78 years old and with so many achievements in your life, what motivates you to keep working?
—
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2025
In fact, this kind of reward motivates people even more than larger, one-off incentives.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 2 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
What motivates one individual may not do the same for another.
—Big Think, 5 Aug. 2025
Gallego argues Democrats need to improve their understanding of what motivates Latino voters in his state, and more broadly across the country, on border security and immigration issues.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2025
In fact, this kind of reward motivates people even more than larger, one-off incentives.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 2 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
What motivates one individual may not do the same for another.
—Big Think, 5 Aug. 2025
Gallego argues Democrats need to improve their understanding of what motivates Latino voters in his state, and more broadly across the country, on border security and immigration issues.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates
Verb
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My hope is that Reunion encourages commissioners and production companies to create space for other deaf people to come forward and tell their stories.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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The presence of citizen participation in legal decision-making encourages civic engagement, fosters public trust and reanimates the participatory ideals on which the American republic was founded.—
Richard Lorren Jolly,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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 upon Bennet’s arrival, things take a turn for the bizarre, when the wealthy tycoon builds himself a prison cell in the basement, in an apparent act of meditative penance that forces Blakey into an inversion of traditional power dynamics.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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The death sets off a chain of events that forces Lilian to revisit her fractured family life and complicated bond with her ex-husband.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fueled by rage and an insatiable desire for freedom, Isaac persuades Charles to keep the plantation.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Authenticity, not polish, is increasingly what persuades.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sherry hopes his video inspires men, balding or not, to embrace self-care and find ways to be the best version of themselves.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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What’s needed now is a return to fashion that inspires, built on products that reignite a sense of fantasy.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
4 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
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This induces an immune system response to the spike protein that is present on the coronavirus.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Derived from the iboga plant native to West Africa, ibogaine induces powerful visions and dreams.—
Pardis Mahdavi,
The Conversation,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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 11 Sep. 2025.
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