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
Asking a musician about their influences can elicit a boiler plate response revealing little about their mindset and motivations.
—
Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
The difference between a genuinely pro-family agenda and a coercive one lies in the underlying assumptions and motivations.
—Sonya Borrero, STAT, 1 May 2026
Officials said the multi-agency probe into Valente's motivations involved scouring more than 11,000 surveillance files, analyzing over 2,100 audio and video files from his personal devices, and conducting upward of 260 interviews.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But the defense motion Tuesday night said that information would be relevant to the jury should any defendants testify at trial about their motivations for attending the protest in Broadview.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
This line of thinking also invites a broader reflection on the motivations that bring clinicians into the profession.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
In a free speech flashpoint last fall, Carr fiercely criticized Kimmel for on-air comments about the political motivations of the man charged with assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
During opening statements in the trial, on Tuesday, April 28, lawyers for Musk and OpenAI offered dueling portraits of their motivations, according to the Times.
—Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
There are other motivations left, too.
—Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
The difference between a genuinely pro-family agenda and a coercive one lies in the underlying assumptions and motivations.
—Sonya Borrero, STAT, 1 May 2026
Officials said the multi-agency probe into Valente's motivations involved scouring more than 11,000 surveillance files, analyzing over 2,100 audio and video files from his personal devices, and conducting upward of 260 interviews.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But the defense motion Tuesday night said that information would be relevant to the jury should any defendants testify at trial about their motivations for attending the protest in Broadview.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
This line of thinking also invites a broader reflection on the motivations that bring clinicians into the profession.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
In a free speech flashpoint last fall, Carr fiercely criticized Kimmel for on-air comments about the political motivations of the man charged with assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
During opening statements in the trial, on Tuesday, April 28, lawyers for Musk and OpenAI offered dueling portraits of their motivations, according to the Times.
—Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
There are other motivations left, too.
—Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivations
Noun
-
Rethinking the tax code BofA said AI will increase pressure on governments to provide wage insurance, enhanced unemployment benefits, reskilling incentives, and tax reform to ensure the gains from AI don’t concentrate in too few hands.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
-
Provide state incentives for the expansion of private practitioners to take on 20% cliental of low-income, homeless and physically impaired patients to pay zero fees for services rendered.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.—
Calin Van Paris,
Outside,
19 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Motivations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivations. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
