MOTIVING Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

motiving

verb

present participle of motive

as in setting off

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for motiving

Verb

He was accused not of pulling the trigger, but of setting off the September 7, 1996 murder following the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon heavyweight championship at the MGM Grand.

— John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Experts said it was most likely caused by a partial glacier collapse that sent tons of ice and rock crashing down into the valley below, setting off a powerful landslide.

— Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of setting off

Verb

When showing a complex picture with many different hues next to each other, though, pumping up the output of individual LED colors can cause the edges of those hues to tint and warp.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
Several stock indexes, including the NASDAQ 100, also relaxed rules for how soon new issues could be included, further pumping up demand.

— John Ruwitch, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of pumping up

Verb

Hill, a former WZUP deejay and radio personality, upstages Martin during a homecoming visit to Detroit, motivating Payne to quit his job to pursue his own career in Hollywood.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Whatever's motivating the withdrawal, the impact on the other person can be similar.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of motivating

Verb

This is the animating question of How to Touch Grass, a new podcast series by my colleagues here at The Atlantic.

— Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
But Mamdani’s animating political philosophy is to use government to solve everyday problems in people’s lives.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of animating

Verb

This has included pumping water from the Sea of Galilee, activating groundwater wells and using national water reserves.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
The Athletic reported on Sunday that Mateta was in dispute with Palace over the final year of his contract, which is set to expire next summer, with Palace activating an option to extend his deal by a further year last December.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of activating

Verb

After driving for a touchdown on their opening drive, the Wolverines didn’t score again until Buchanan snagged Underwood’s pass amid a crowd of defenders in the end zone.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Yet too many adults focus on winning and chasing college scholarships, driving up the costs for families and pressure on children to specialize in one sport and succeed.

— Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

Every event brings the character closer to their goal or takes them further away, energizing them or creating turmoil.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
DedCool 01 Taunt Eau de Parfum Taunt may be the sweetest fragrance on this list, but its sugary vanilla is undercut by a fresh, energizing burst of bergamot and dewy blackcurrant buds.

— Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of energizing

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.

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motives

motiving

motivities

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“Motiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motiving. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of motiving

verb

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