as in motivational
serving or likely to arouse action or activity
The biggest motivating factor behind her decision to change jobs was the pay increase. The positive feedback he received was very motivating.
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as in encouraging
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
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Recent Examples of motivating
Crystal Bell, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
There is nothing remotely motivating to be found in those vacant and echo-y rooms.
—Kate Colby
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
What's motivating it to, say, chase after Hermit [Alex Lawther] the whole time without killing him.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
What is motivating her to help him?
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
His mother allegedly told law enforcement that those changing views did appear to be a motivating factor behind shooting Kirk, who regularly attacked the trans community online and on his podcast.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The other two, Troy Terry and Lukáš Dostál, both signed long deals (seven and five years, respectively) as RFAs without requiring a holdout, though both had the exigency of arbitration eligibility motivating a swifter resolution.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
These visual materials are highly motivating for those who are in the decision-making process and directly reveal Smile Hair Clinic’s expertise.
—Wyles Daniel, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Many Democrats were concerned that the language about Kirk, widely respected in conservative circles for his efforts at motivating younger voters to participate in the political system, went too far as casting him as a unifier.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Watching his performance was so motivating and inspiring for me.
—Crystal Bell, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
There is nothing remotely motivating to be found in those vacant and echo-y rooms.
—Kate Colby
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
What's motivating it to, say, chase after Hermit [Alex Lawther] the whole time without killing him.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
What is motivating her to help him?
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
His mother allegedly told law enforcement that those changing views did appear to be a motivating factor behind shooting Kirk, who regularly attacked the trans community online and on his podcast.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The other two, Troy Terry and Lukáš Dostál, both signed long deals (seven and five years, respectively) as RFAs without requiring a holdout, though both had the exigency of arbitration eligibility motivating a swifter resolution.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
These visual materials are highly motivating for those who are in the decision-making process and directly reveal Smile Hair Clinic’s expertise.
—Wyles Daniel, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Many Democrats were concerned that the language about Kirk, widely respected in conservative circles for his efforts at motivating younger voters to participate in the political system, went too far as casting him as a unifier.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating
Adjective
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The video shows Combs playing with his children, mourning Kim Porter and giving motivational speeches at fundraisers in New York.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
3 Oct. 2025
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Skey spoke with Bershan Shaw, a breast cancer survivor, motivational speaker and podcast host, who was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer at age 33, then with Stage IV two years later.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Venus is wrapping up in Virgo in your adventure sector, encouraging you to expand through learning, travel, or fresh perspectives.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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Croft urged schools to formally teach digital literacy and parents to reinforce it at home by encouraging keyboard use and balanced screen time.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The outbreak was forcing a shortage of eggs as well, leading some grocers to restrict how many dozens of eggs consumers could buy per visit.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, American companies are beginning to pay attention to these Chinese AI giants, forcing them to grapple more publicly with copyright protections.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hungary provides an inspiring example as country of honor thanks to its strong track-record in preservation and circulation through events such as the Budapest Classic Film Marathon.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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In an inspiring act of kindness and generosity, tournament angler Tripp Berlinsky turned the biggest win of his college fishing career into an opportunity to give back.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If that’s not enticing enough, the vineyard is kid- and dog- friendly to make sure everyone has a great time.—
Elliott Harrell,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
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The possibilities are enticing because of how both Mara and Johnson grade out defensively.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Klopp still has a job in the game, as overseer of the Red Bull Group, which seems to consist of giving advice here and there, watching games, assessing potential signings and then persuading those signings to, erm, sign.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Sponsorship organizations seek donations by persuading people and groups that have, to lend financial support those who don’t have or have far less.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fiber helps increase feelings of fullness by slowing digestion and stimulating the release of satiety hormones.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
30 Sep. 2025
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Another highlight of the month is Pluto’s shift direct in Aquarius on October 13, which supercharges your joy sector, stimulating feelings of romance, creativity, play, and pleasure.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivating. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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