1
as in themes
a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition)
the principal motive of the piece was introduced in the flute section
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in motifs
a unit of decoration that is repeated all over something (as a fabric)
decorated with a paisley motive
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in reasons
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing
the detective felt that the first suspect didn't have any motive for committing the crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motives
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
While the exact details and motives of the attack have yet to be revealed, a prison service spokesperson said that a police investigation is currently underway.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
The most popular motives at 67% each were to expand their business to new markets or to gain access to new investment opportunities.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Marsch believes that by having sometimes difficult conversations in person, players will attain an understanding of his motives.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Suddenly, Lockjaw, now a colonel, is motivated to capture Willa and hunt down Bob, and the rest of the film involves the motives for his pursuit, the efforts of Bob and Willa to evade capture, their resulting separation, and their daring struggle to reunite.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
But internal records reveal more complicated motives.
—Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025
Cruz acknowledged that the organization took action on the allegations of biased editing, but questioned its motives.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2025
In an interview with Artforum earlier this year, Ng offered insight into her curatorial motives.
—News Desk, Artforum, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
The sensational turn in the case fueled breathless news coverage as the public became hungry for any revelation about the brothers’ motives or the dark secrets that had been festering inside the Menendez family home.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
While the exact details and motives of the attack have yet to be revealed, a prison service spokesperson said that a police investigation is currently underway.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
The most popular motives at 67% each were to expand their business to new markets or to gain access to new investment opportunities.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Marsch believes that by having sometimes difficult conversations in person, players will attain an understanding of his motives.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Suddenly, Lockjaw, now a colonel, is motivated to capture Willa and hunt down Bob, and the rest of the film involves the motives for his pursuit, the efforts of Bob and Willa to evade capture, their resulting separation, and their daring struggle to reunite.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
But internal records reveal more complicated motives.
—Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025
Cruz acknowledged that the organization took action on the allegations of biased editing, but questioned its motives.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2025
In an interview with Artforum earlier this year, Ng offered insight into her curatorial motives.
—News Desk, Artforum, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motives
Noun
-
Meyer-Harley’s son has already begun working through his reading list, starting with by Madeleine L’Engle—a classic that has faced multiple challenges over the years due to its themes of magic and religion.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
In the interview below, Cahn dives deeper into her process for creating The Diplomat and weighs in on some of the biggest Season 3 themes.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Marigolds, cascading drapes, and glowing lanterns form a festive canopy of red and gold, blending traditional Indian motifs with the brand’s signature modern aesthetic.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
18 Oct. 2025
-
In Ragtime‘s most impressive achievement, those three groups (and their musical motifs and dance choreographies) are introduced in the astonishing opening number, separately at first but then blending together as if to illustrate the cauldron that was and is New York City.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The full and final details of what would be a very complex operation for tax and legal reasons are still being worked out, sources said.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Besides religion, what are other possible reasons a person might have executed a forgery?—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ask what motivates you to network in the first place.—
Sarah Maokosy,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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What motivates your entrepreneurial drive today?—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The district court shall hear and determine such matters immediately after the filing of such application.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That firm typically handles routine matters for the district but is also listed in court documents as representing the district in the book removal case.—
Ann Schimke,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Many of them had easy access to government offices that enabled them to obtain genuine Syrian passports with fake names, according to former employees and regime figures.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Evans said he wasn’t thwarted by the brand’s adoption among Robinson and other political figures because of their lowbrow tastes.—
Steve Salter,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The forum’s dozen sessions span topics including variety formats, IP development and AI applications.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Another risk that worries him was the potential for models to be engineered to refuse requests from or be less helpful to certain groups of the population, just by detecting specific patterns in the request or keywords.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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When different light patterns are projected, the device can perform a range of nonlinear-optical tasks, all within the same physical structure.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motives. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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