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 This code motivates us and propels us toward our own personal growth cycles. — Sharon Daniels, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Elsewhere in his conversation with PEOPLE, 50 Cent reflected on what motivates his success after decades in the entertainment industry. — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 What motivates a person to push past their limits doesn’t have to be poetic or even coherent. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026 What needs to be consolidated to create a space that motivates you? — Usa Today, USA Today, 19 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates

Verb

There is an agency in charge of enforcing the rules with the objective of putting guardrails around a spending spree exacerbated by a transfer portal that encourages players to seek better offers from different schools.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Painting outdoors offers a slower, more immersive experience that encourages observation, patience, and connection with nature.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of encourages

Verb

The main sticking point is Real Madrid’s failure to offer something that entices both City and the player, whose contract expires at the Etihad on June 30, 2027.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of entices

Verb

Iranian officials dismiss the campaign as familiar punishment, while analysts warn decades of sanctions show pressure alone rarely forces Tehran to yield and may instead harden positions on all sides.

— Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Investors Make Your Financials Non-Negotiable Nothing forces financial discipline like a quarterly investor update.

— Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

Despite the warning, Max persuades both the guide and the rest of the group to choose the red path instead.

— Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 29 July 2026
The open question is whether Wednesday’s beat and share price jump is just a blip, or the catalyst that persuades investors to give the stock a more durable re-rating.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of persuades

Verb

This shift inspires a fresh collection of cocktail ideas, artfully blending vibrant summer fruits like pineapple, peach, and grapefruit with autumnal notes of cranberry and maraschino cherry.

— John Kell, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
That sentiment inspires Sony Vizha – a celebration of Tamil culture, deeply rooted in emotion and imagined for a wider world.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of inspires

Verb

Under Nevada law, someone who aids or abets a crime—or encourages, hires, commands, or otherwise induces another person to commit it—can be prosecuted as a principal.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 16 Aug. 2026
The changing magnetic field induces a voltage in the conductor, the same basic electromagnetic induction principle used in electrical generators.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of induces

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“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of motivates

verb

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