set in motion

verb

Definition of set in motionnext
as in to stir (up)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for set in motion
  1. provoke
  2. pick
  3. incite
Verb
  • The author warns that humanity's insistence on supremacy could lead to conflict with advanced AI, even provoking existential threats.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The ensuing conflict provoked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of provoke
Verb
  • Later that day, her most devout followers rented a fleet of RVs, picked Didulo up from her apartment, and began driving across the country.
    — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Her performance was the latest example of her sophomore surge, as Malonga is spearheading a Storm rebuild alongside 2026 first-round picks Johnson and Awa Fam.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • On August 5, Nelson Mandela was arrested in South Africa for inciting workers to strike, and Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home in Brentwood, California.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The same forces that produce earthquakes are also what led gold to form in the Sierra foothills, inciting the state's famous rush.
    — Rong-Gong Lin II Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of incite
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

set in
set in motion
set off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Set in motion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20in%20motion. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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