as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
seeing a Broadway play for the first time was the stimulus for her career in the theater
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Recent Examples of stimulus
Starting in vision was a practical decision because that field had produced most of the data in neuroscience, mainly because screens are good at showing many stimuli in rapid succession.
—
Eric James Beyer, Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2025
The animals’ skulls are later surgically opened, electrodes are implanted into their brains, and researchers show them visual stimuli (images of faces, for example) to examine how the sensory deprivation or other visual manipulations affected their neurodevelopment.
—Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 18 June 2025
Despite significant government efforts, the market did not respond until meaningful stimulus was introduced.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
They are also advised by the USDA to offer daily enrichment in the form of toys, chew items, music, and other sensory stimuli that can aid in providing mental stimulation, and, as a result, stress relief, in dogs.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Eric James Beyer, Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2025
The animals’ skulls are later surgically opened, electrodes are implanted into their brains, and researchers show them visual stimuli (images of faces, for example) to examine how the sensory deprivation or other visual manipulations affected their neurodevelopment.
—Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 18 June 2025
Despite significant government efforts, the market did not respond until meaningful stimulus was introduced.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
They are also advised by the USDA to offer daily enrichment in the form of toys, chew items, music, and other sensory stimuli that can aid in providing mental stimulation, and, as a result, stress relief, in dogs.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stimulus
Noun
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While American pharmaceutical development exhibits signs of institutional sclerosis, China’s system demonstrates the power of aligned incentives, streamlined processes, and strategic coordination between regulatory bodies, research institutions, and industry players.—
Greg Licholai MD,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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This prompted the lawmaker to question why someone would want to run away from these incentives and avoid detection.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Israel’s contention that Iran would soon be able to build a nuclear weapon was the impetus for the conflict, which began with Israel Defense Forces strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and against Iran’s military and nuclear program scientists on the night of June 12-13.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
24 June 2025
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Tyler Grill said the festival has brought nearly 100,000 people in the city, which was the impetus for starting an annual festival in Bushnell Park.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2025
Noun
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While some commenters noted the mistake, many offered support and encouragement.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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However, Bird only came out in 2017, after the encouragement of Rapinoe.—
Grace Jordan-Weinstein,
People.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The next step is to win it, and that’s our motivation for next season.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The suspect’s motivation for the shootings remains unclear.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stimulus. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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