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incited; inciting
: to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for incite
incite, instigate, abet, foment mean to spur to action.
incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating.
inciting a riot
instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention.
instigated a conspiracy
abet implies both assisting and encouraging.
aiding and abetting the enemy
foment implies persistence in goading.
fomenting rebellion
Examples of incite in a Sentence
The news incited widespread fear and paranoia.
the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours
Recent Examples on the Web
That road’s proximity alone seems to incite drivers to gun through lights, career through turns, and attempt to swerve around sluggish amblers.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Nov. 2024
Of the seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump for inciting insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, only three will return to Congress next year: Collins and Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Bill Cassidy (La.).
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
The issue incited unsubstantiated rumors from fans across X that YouTube suppressed the video in its search function.
—Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Related article 29 children may be sentenced to death for protesting against cost-of-living crisis in Nigeria
The accused had faced charges including treason and inciting a military coup and had been arraigned in batches of 76 and 43 last Friday.
—Reuters, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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Word History
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Cite this Entry
“Incite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incite. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
incite
transitive verb
in·cite
in-ˈsīt
incited; inciting
: to bring into being : induce to exist or occur
organisms that readily incited antibody formation
Legal Definition
incite
transitive verb
in·cite
in-ˈsīt
incited; inciting
: to urge on
incite a riot
incitement
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on incite
Nglish: Translation of incite for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of incite for Arabic Speakers
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