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
Emotional breakdowns, difficulty focusing, lacking the motivation to eat, shower or interact with people often goes unseen.
—
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Evans asked the public not to speculate on a motivation for the attacks.
—Jim Mustian, Twin Cities, 16 June 2025
That should matter to leaders, because real connection drives motivation, creativity, and well-being.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
But the vice president’s remarks also underscore the political motivations behind Saturday’s action.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Evans asked the public not to speculate on a motivation for the attacks.
—Jim Mustian, Twin Cities, 16 June 2025
That should matter to leaders, because real connection drives motivation, creativity, and well-being.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
But the vice president’s remarks also underscore the political motivations behind Saturday’s action.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivation
Noun
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This prompted the lawmaker to question why someone would want to run away from these incentives and avoid detection.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2025
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While American pharmaceutical development exhibits signs of institutional sclerosis, China’s system demonstrates the power of aligned incentives, streamlined processes, and strategic coordination between regulatory bodies, research institutions, and industry players.—
Greg Licholai MD,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Israel’s contention that Iran would soon be able to build a nuclear weapon was the impetus for the conflict, which began with Israel Defense Forces strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and against Iran’s military and nuclear program scientists on the night of June 12-13.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
24 June 2025
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Tyler Grill said the festival has brought nearly 100,000 people in the city, which was the impetus for starting an annual festival in Bushnell Park.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2025
Noun
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While some commenters noted the mistake, many offered support and encouragement.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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However, Bird only came out in 2017, after the encouragement of Rapinoe.—
Grace Jordan-Weinstein,
People.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
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State stimulus, on-demand infrastructure, affective consumption, and homegrown innovation are reshaping consumer expectations and fashion’s business logic.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
28 June 2025
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That could reduce the urgency for Beijing to step up stimulus at the upcoming Politburo meeting in July, Xing added.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivation. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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