as in incentives
something that arouses action or activity
fear of failing should be plenty of motivation to study for the test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of motivations
In any case, despite the motivations behind it the mutiny in the studio turned into a party.
—
Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The inventory outlines means rather than motivations.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
In her scenes with each of them, Hedda’s motivations feel murky as she ping-pongs between flirtation, disgust, fear and anger.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Adapting and expanding upon a lean Don Winslow novella, Layton adds many sometimes unnecessarily complex ingredients to the pot, with characters intersecting and allegiances and motivations often contradicting one another.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026
Like organ donors, many surrogates draw on the rhetoric of gift-giving to describe their motivations.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The search warrant affidavit could shed light on the FBI’s motivations in seeking the ballots.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2026
Hayley’s very upset by it, and that upsets Mickey, and that’s probably one of the biggest driving motivations for him, not just to save his own life, but to save his daughter and his family from the ramifications of this.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Americans also have opinions about the motivations of the Supreme Court.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The inventory outlines means rather than motivations.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
In her scenes with each of them, Hedda’s motivations feel murky as she ping-pongs between flirtation, disgust, fear and anger.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Adapting and expanding upon a lean Don Winslow novella, Layton adds many sometimes unnecessarily complex ingredients to the pot, with characters intersecting and allegiances and motivations often contradicting one another.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026
Like organ donors, many surrogates draw on the rhetoric of gift-giving to describe their motivations.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The search warrant affidavit could shed light on the FBI’s motivations in seeking the ballots.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2026
Hayley’s very upset by it, and that upsets Mickey, and that’s probably one of the biggest driving motivations for him, not just to save his own life, but to save his daughter and his family from the ramifications of this.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Americans also have opinions about the motivations of the Supreme Court.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivations
Noun
-
The new contract was richer, filled with all sorts of incentives … and also for a very long time.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
To be eligible for the Spirit Awards, a movie's budget cannot exceed $30 million after tax incentives.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In October 2024 ahead of her own stay at MSG, Billie Eilish recorded encouragements to take the subways for environmental benefits.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Hints, counsels, warnings, remonstrations, even encouragements are, in the end, of limited value.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivations. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
