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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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 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
  1. encourages
  2. entices
  3. forces
  4. persuades
  5. inspires
  6. stimulates
  7. induces
  8. provokes
Verb
  • Forbes Travel Guide’s second annual Edge List encourages discovery beyond the well-trodden path.
    — Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • If parents need to contact their students, each district encourages them to reach out to the school’s office.
    — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 12 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
  • Users already use it to write profiles and draft messages, Sharabi said, which forces dating companies to decide how much of it belongs inside their products.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Nissan has engineered a software algorithm that artificially forces the engine's sound and RPMs to rise in perfect, linear lockstep with the car’s physical road speed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 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
  • In an interview with NPR, Padeu explained his art — and what inspires him.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of inspires
Verb
  • Deadheading daisies helps maintain a tidy appearance, stimulates new growth, and encourages prolific blooms.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Microneedling stimulates your own collagen with minimal downtime, while a series of light to medium chemical peels can brighten the complexion, improve texture and help fade residual summer discoloration.
    — Carlos Wolf, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulates
Verb
  • 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
  • Researchers exposed male mouse testicle cells, known as TM3 cells, to a chemical that induces oxidative stress.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of induces
Verb
  • The film starts in nature, and the whole experience provokes ideas and inspires something closer to poetry than nostalgia.
    — Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Homer, the enigmatic poet, still provokes and inspires us all.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of provokes

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Cite this Entry

“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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