as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
fear of failing should be plenty of motivation to study for the test
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Recent Examples of motivation
But that also serves as motivation to all of us.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The loss against Mountaineers could be the final piece of motivation TCU needs to make another historic run.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
There's a seriousness and a motivation and an understanding of the story.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
That was not the motivation for making this.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The loss against Mountaineers could be the final piece of motivation TCU needs to make another historic run.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
There's a seriousness and a motivation and an understanding of the story.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
That was not the motivation for making this.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivation
Noun
-
That’s largely because the city of San Diego has been ahead of this curve for years, reducing regulations, creating incentives to build lower-cost housing and doing away with zoning restrictions.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Investors leverage this report to measure tightness in the labor market, which influences expectations around wage inflation; in a hot labor market, businesses need to pay up to attract talent, but when there are way more job-seekers than openings, less financial incentives are needed.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That entrepreneurial bent was a major impetus behind For Denver FC’s earliest efforts—along with a love of the game and gender-equity activism.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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And that gave William the impetus and the confidence to go forward and cement his relationship with Catherine.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Measuring, analyzing, cautioning, dispensing encouragement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
When one dog needed encouragement to run through the tunnel, Magnuson intervened, shortening it to a few feet.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Our market reacts to rate cuts more than any other stimulus.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But economists expressed disappointment over the government’s limited stimulus.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivation. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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