1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instigate
Russia and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have launched intelligence missions right here on U.S. soil as the CCP has instigated an economic chokehold on South American countries through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and corruption.
—
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
The man who instigated the war and who is the chief obstacle to peace is Vladimir Putin.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 20 May 2025
His most recent feature-length project instigated some eye-rolls (Asteroid City) and a 39-minute short released later that year was mostly ignored (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, an underrated gem).
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
Before his appointment, Martin promoted conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack, including the claim that federal agents instigated the violence.
—Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
The man who instigated the war and who is the chief obstacle to peace is Vladimir Putin.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 20 May 2025
His most recent feature-length project instigated some eye-rolls (Asteroid City) and a 39-minute short released later that year was mostly ignored (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, an underrated gem).
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
Before his appointment, Martin promoted conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack, including the claim that federal agents instigated the violence.
—Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for instigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigate
Verb
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Negotiating with someone who is trying to provoke you is their tactic.—
John Baldoni,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Daily life in the villa is punctuated by games and challenges, designed to reveal secrets, provoke drama and test the strength of relationships.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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In order to protect his brother, Gi-jun encouraged Ju-woon and Bong-san to stage a coup.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
6 June 2025
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Musk, who spent almost $300 million on last year’s election, had also encouraged the primarying of lawmakers who voted for it.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Pollard was promoted to be executive vice president in 1980 and then president and chief operating officer in 1981 before he was named ServiceMaster’s CEO in 1983, succeeding Wessner.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
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Drink Plenty of Water Drinking water may promote weight loss, but more research is needed.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Just like weight-bearing exercises, the vibrations stimulate osteocytes, which send signals to the two other types of bone cells–osteoblasts and osteoclasts–to create new bone matter and recycle the old.—
Jia H. Jung,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
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The electrode stimulates the nerve, opening the airway by moving the tongue forward.1 Hypoglossal nerve stimulation surgery can effectively resolve snoring for some.—
Sukaina Hasnie,
Verywell Health,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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