1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to encourage
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the charge that the scene in the movie had instigated teenagers to commit similar acts of vandalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instigate
Efforts to fabricate Taiwanese statehood, nationality, or language—instigated from across the ocean—are artificial and, consequently, unsustainable.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
The petition has been instigated by the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR), a joint venture between the European Film Academy, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, the president's chief regulator of broadcast media has instigated investigations of each of the major broadcast outlets – ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS – save Rupert Murdoch's Fox, which is a corporate sister of the pro-Trump Fox News Channel.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 26 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, there have been mass firings at the FBI, reportedly instigated by Trump hatchet man Kash Patel, who awaits Senate confirmation to head the FBI.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
The petition has been instigated by the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR), a joint venture between the European Film Academy, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, the president's chief regulator of broadcast media has instigated investigations of each of the major broadcast outlets – ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS – save Rupert Murdoch's Fox, which is a corporate sister of the pro-Trump Fox News Channel.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 26 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, there have been mass firings at the FBI, reportedly instigated by Trump hatchet man Kash Patel, who awaits Senate confirmation to head the FBI.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigate
Verb
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Over the past eight years, social media platforms have been skillfully manipulated to provoke anger, rage, fear, and distrust, setting individuals and groups against one another.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, that means getting outside of the Court’s comfort zone of an orderly appeals process when individual judges single-handedly provoke a separation-of-powers crisis.—
The Editors,
National Review,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But the internet encourages the transformation of antipathy into creative fodder, and enables its dissemination.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2025
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Officials encourage Carolinians to stay informed through official emergency sources and call 911 to report any immediate threats.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Fraudsters also promote the overstated withholding scheme, encouraging taxpayers to inflate income and withholding on forms like W-2s and 1099s for larger refunds.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
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The link between the new game and the new platform helped promote a bold alternative to the retail game sales and distribution systems that had dominated PC gaming for decades.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The jokey, gleefully profane lyrics are stimulating in the moment but then quickly forgotten, like novelty songs in a clever college cabaret.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
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Such a device could perhaps stimulate different parts of the tongue to, say, determine if the brain was processing sensory signals properly.—
Gayoung Lee,
Scientific American,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigate. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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