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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Recent Examples of motivating
Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026
It's been reported that a motivating factor in Princess Anne finally making the split official was the discovery that her husband had fathered another child years earlier.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Two incredible coaches who are among the best at motivating their teams.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 1 June 2026
An exercise companion can be motivating.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 1 June 2026
Sokoloff blamed Mejia himself for alienating city officials and motivating them to cut his resources.
—Rafael Perez, Daily News, 28 May 2026
How Nate Died on ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Nate was buried alive as a means of motivating Cassie to pay Naz a $1 million within 72 hours otherwise her husband would die of dehydration.
—Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Analysts and industry insiders have cited rising fuel prices as a possible factor motivating these decisions.
—Robert Ferris, CNBC, 20 May 2026
The group chat can also be motivating.
—Glamour, 18 May 2026
Verb
His team made its interest in trafficking plain to the local ATF division, motivating agents to build cases.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026
It's been reported that a motivating factor in Princess Anne finally making the split official was the discovery that her husband had fathered another child years earlier.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Two incredible coaches who are among the best at motivating their teams.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 1 June 2026
An exercise companion can be motivating.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 1 June 2026
Sokoloff blamed Mejia himself for alienating city officials and motivating them to cut his resources.
—Rafael Perez, Daily News, 28 May 2026
How Nate Died on ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Nate was buried alive as a means of motivating Cassie to pay Naz a $1 million within 72 hours otherwise her husband would die of dehydration.
—Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Analysts and industry insiders have cited rising fuel prices as a possible factor motivating these decisions.
—Robert Ferris, CNBC, 20 May 2026
The group chat can also be motivating.
—Glamour, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating
Adjective
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Ahead of the Spurs' run in the 2026 NBA Finals, McNulty celebrated her husband with a motivational tribute post on Instagram.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
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Brown, who also recently said goodbye to Queer Eye, seems to be keeping busy with motivational videos, per his Instagram.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Cuts expected to remain include a sharp reduction in zoning investigators, the elimination of a fee waiver encouraging sidewalk repairs and cuts to the city’s bomb squad.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
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Efforts to increase births have accelerated in recent years as the full scale of the population crisis has become clearer, with new policies ranging from childbirth and housing subsidies to encouraging more fathers to take paternity leave.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Iran may have succeeded in forcing Washington to make a choice between supporting Israel’s military freedom of action and preserving a diplomatic track with Tehran.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
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He is especially known for his signature sinker that is known for forcing weak contact on the ground.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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In New York, an inspiring young leftist competed against a boorish, but experienced, former governor to replace a corrupt mayor.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
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The event promises inspiring vibes, great music and a chance to celebrate the album release together.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But this disjointed medley, performed by Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty, offered little context for what is meant to be exciting or enticing about the show.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
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That does sound enticing for a brand that became the first Chinese carmaker to exceed 1 million sales in Europe.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 05,
New Atlas,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Those include persuading a critical number of merchants to accept payments from agents, while also determining who is responsible for failed and fraudulent transactions.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
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Candidate Brenda Lee Anderson, a Northwestern University researcher, noted that a key challenge has been persuading those without children in Chicago Public Schools that the school board is worth their attention.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Apollo Neuro reviews have been piling up across the internet as more people try the wearable device that aims to rebalance the nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
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In a new study published in PLOS, researchers analyzed 161 fossils with a new rapid and non-destructive protocol, based on stimulating the bone remains with an external energy source, called luminescence.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivating. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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