1
as in exciting
causing great emotional or mental stimulation
enjoys the good food and stimulating conversation at his best friend's house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refreshing
having a renewing effect on the state of the body or mind
a brisk, stimulating walk on a bright, clear wintry day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction
an article containing a stimulating argument for raising, not lowering, the tax on gasoline
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in arousing
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
research into alternative energy sources has been stimulated by this funding increase
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2
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the government crackdown has only stimulated the citizenry to more acts of violence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stimulating
Robert Lloyd, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Early pilot studies suggest that stimulating this area can reduce pain intensity for up to a week in some patients.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulating
Adjective
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Form Insoles combine mechanical arch support with a neuro-stimulating texture, which is proven to reduce foot fatigue and arch pain by increasing overall foot awareness and foot posture.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Early pilot studies suggest that stimulating this area can reduce pain intensity for up to a week in some patients.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stimulating
Adjective
-
Kurt's key takeaways Security updates rarely feel exciting.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Houston should be one of the most exciting teams in the tournament, and that’s in large part because of Flemings.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Senior Homes Editor Betsy Watson's grandmother always had a batch of this cool and refreshing salad chilling in the fridge for guests.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Even all-white sneakers with silver accents can inject a refreshing hint of modernity.—
Amber Rambharose,
InStyle,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An architect by training, Censori, 31, has been an enigmatic and largely silent fixture in West’s orbit for years, making her statements mostly through provocative performance art that often incorporates public nudity.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Moshfegh, who pairs regressive politics with a wild, provocative humor, is an obvious influence on Dimes Square novels.—
Malavika Kannan,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To avoid arousing suspicion, the mission was primarily carried out by ground forces with limited air support from helicopters, Trevilla said.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Algorithms tend to prioritize emotionally arousing content, particularly anger, anxiety and outrage.—
Robin Pickering,
The Conversation,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When not in the newsroom, Munis is often out on the streets with his camera, capturing the perfect portrait or settling in to watch a thought-provoking film.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
While teasing Season 2 and what’s to come, the series’ creators tout the advantages the audio format offers for thought-provoking science fiction.—
Jordaan Ashley,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There are countless breathtaking routes to traverse, from Maui to Lanai, but one of the most iconic trails is a loop around the Diamond Head Crater in Oahu.—
Kristine Thomason,
Outside,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Anthropic, the artificial intelligence (AI) company that emerged in 2026 as an existential threat to billions of market value, with each breathtaking new capability from its Claude model, is back with a warning about just how obsolete AI tools could make whole swathes of work.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At a charged political moment, her relatively sober look seemed intended to keep the focus on POTUS.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
-
What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Pops of color are energizing and fresh.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Mar. 2026
-
High-Protein Smoothie Smoothies are colorful, easy to digest, genuinely energizing and one of the more reliable ways to get nutrients into kids who have opinions about what goes on their plate.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stimulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stimulating. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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