Synonyms of stimuli

stimuli

noun

plural of stimulus

as in incentives

something that arouses action or activity

seeing a Broadway play for the first time was the stimulus for her career in the theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

• incentives
• encouragements
• impetuses
• motivations
• impulses
• stimulants
• provocations
• yeasts
• catalysts
• reasons
• momenta
• inducements
• incitements
• fuels
• spurs
• shots in the arm
• goads
• boosts
• causes
• instigations
• incitations
• invitations
• considerations
• motives
• antecedents
• grounds
• sparks
• occasions
• catalyzers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disincentives
• counterincentives

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stimuli

The edit intercuts old film reels, both archival B-roll and seeming home movies, to hint at how all these new stimuli jog Brooke’s memory. — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

Rather than explaining behavior solely in terms of observable stimuli and responses, cognitive psychologists investigated ways in which individuals acquire, organize, store, and use information. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Sep. 2026

Several days of this, Britton said, can cause neurons to become more sensitive, such that minor stimuli, like the ticking of a clock or the sound of another person’s breath, can start to feel overwhelming—as can emotions such as rage and grief. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Surrounded by the healing landscape of the Sonoran Desert, the luxe getaway has welcomed travelers seeking to put aside digital overload and other overwhelming stimuli in order to reconnect with the best versions of themselves. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026

What is your approach to writing, in terms of outside stimuli? — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026

The third is to develop novel variations of your stimuli or your benchmark items in order to test robustness and generalization. — Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026

Between these stimuli, strange thoughts move through my semi-conscious mind, the kind of free association that feels normal in sleep and bizarre in life. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

Winning ideas included fracturing rocks with fluid pressure or mechanical stimuli, exposing them to catalysts to speed hydrogen-generating reactions, and manipulating native microbial communities to enhance production. — IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026