motiving

verb

present participle of motive
as in setting off

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motiving
  1. setting off
  2. pumping up
  3. motivating
  4. animating
  5. activating
  6. driving
  7. energizing
  8. inducing
Verb
  • Think of it like setting off a firework inside of a long, narrow hallway (which, by the way, is a really bad idea).
    — Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
  • Many accounts were opted in by default, making their public photos available to the tool and setting off alarm in the entertainment industry.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of setting off
Verb
  • In other words, pumping up the stock market was seen as a way to drive consumer spending.
    — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Many of my fellow viewers enthusiastically embraced the role of wrestling fans and behaved as if at a WWE match, audibly pumping up the hero and booing her opponents.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Definition of pumping up
Verb
  • What, then, is motivating the 41-year-old to don Portugal’s kit for his sixth and final World Cup this summer?
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • Blorian said Sporting’s current last-place standing is motivating and a welcome challenge to bring the club back up.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Definition of motivating
Verb
  • The code covers much more ground, but its animating spirit is clear throughout.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 10 July 2026
  • Railing against a new crop of progressive candidates has emerged as a more animating focus for a president who thrills to a fight.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of animating
Verb
  • The second exercise is a double-leg glute bridge and hold, which focuses on activating those hamstrings and glutes — both essential muscles in supporting acceleration and top speed.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Those launches were successful, but ground teams ran into problems activating and commissioning satellites made by York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Definition of activating
Verb
  • The war with Iran and renewed closure of the strait aren’t the only factors driving prices higher.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • For Åkerfeldt, there were two competing philosophies driving the band’s music.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • On July 21, Jupiter will meet with Uranus in a harmonious sextile, creating an energizing connection between our personal expansion and the changes available to us at this time.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Some of the day-to-day involvement is gone, along with the immediacy that made the early years so energizing.
    — Dustin Lemick, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of energizing
Verb
  • Instead, Vesia intentionally walked Goldschmidt before inducing an inning-ending flyout from ex-Dodger Cody Bellinger.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • According to the court judgment, the pair arranged for employees and associates to drive up bidding prices at auction, inducing the collector, identified under the pseudonym Li Pin, to purchase the items at inflated prices.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of inducing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

motives
motiving
motivities
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motiving. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All