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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motivation
Eventually, nerve cells—particularly those in the part of the brain that regulates movement and cognitive skills like motivation, habit formation, and decision-making—degrade, leading to physical and cognitive symptoms.
—
Alice Park, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
At this time little is known about Jahn’s beliefs or potential motivations, beyond the bullet engraving.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Probably not tomorrow, or by again bluntly flying jets into NATO airspace, but in another way that forces the largest military alliance in history to parse and debate Moscow’s motivations.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
The exact motivation for the attack was not immediately known.
—Jamie Stengle, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Alice Park, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
At this time little is known about Jahn’s beliefs or potential motivations, beyond the bullet engraving.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Probably not tomorrow, or by again bluntly flying jets into NATO airspace, but in another way that forces the largest military alliance in history to parse and debate Moscow’s motivations.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
The exact motivation for the attack was not immediately known.
—Jamie Stengle, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivation
Noun
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Tesla had a first-mover advantage in China in 2013, leveraging the government’s support of EVs with subsidies and incentives and its production base and opening a gigafactory in Shanghai in 2019.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Livermore and Alameda officials unsuccessfully offered their own tax incentive packages.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The impetus for Redeux Style was to teach people how to create beautiful moments in their lives to be more sustainable.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
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There was enough of an impetus, there was enough energy there.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Reaction to the Grand Blanc Township violence Statements of support, shock and encouragement quickly flooded social media.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Not the one on the field to celebrate a win, but the quieter one to punctuate a season — sharing hugs, backslaps and whispered words of encouragement for the winter to come, for a winter that has come too soon.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The report also complicates the Federal Reserve’s recent pivot toward rate cuts, as stronger GDP may reduce the urgency for additional stimulus.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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There’s so much stimuli that I get really pumped doing it.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivation. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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