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
And, most importantly, all this progression is occurring at a rapid clip, with full arcs tidily wrapped up in the four (of eight) episodes provided for review and characters’ hidden motivations revealed deliberately and steadily.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Interestingly, the motivations and strategies of these founders vary wildly by region.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
To the extent people are concerned about political motivations, there is none of that with Jamie.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 June 2026
That cut features 45 minutes of additional footage that clarifies character motivations and restores Eva Green's part, which was cut from the film.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
The new season offers a bunch of new faces, because what the show needed was new characters, with James Norton the best of the lot as Ormund Hightower, an ally to the Alicent/Aemond/Aegon power junta whose own motivations are only slowly revealing themselves.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
But the platform’s political motivations aren’t always clear to voters.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026
While others close to the president see personal motivations at work, the White House is leaning into the diplomatic benefit.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 12 June 2026
Because people's feelings, passions, and motivations have always fascinated me.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Interestingly, the motivations and strategies of these founders vary wildly by region.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
To the extent people are concerned about political motivations, there is none of that with Jamie.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 June 2026
That cut features 45 minutes of additional footage that clarifies character motivations and restores Eva Green's part, which was cut from the film.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
The new season offers a bunch of new faces, because what the show needed was new characters, with James Norton the best of the lot as Ormund Hightower, an ally to the Alicent/Aemond/Aegon power junta whose own motivations are only slowly revealing themselves.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
But the platform’s political motivations aren’t always clear to voters.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026
While others close to the president see personal motivations at work, the White House is leaning into the diplomatic benefit.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 12 June 2026
Because people's feelings, passions, and motivations have always fascinated me.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivations
Noun
-
And given that such systems are physically possible, powerful economic and strategic incentives exist for technologists and entrepreneurs to build them.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
The restrictions apply to existing single-family homes, not new construction, a carveout that preserves incentives for financial firms to invest in new housing construction, the staffer noted.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
One of the main impetuses for this is that newer planes are flying further, which means airline routes are getting longer.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 June 2025
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 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
