as in encourages
to rouse to action or activity
The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.
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Recent Examples of motivates
Truly Listen to Your Employees Take time to understand what motivates your team members.
—
Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Recognition fosters a culture of appreciation, which motivates employees to bring their best selves to work.
—Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Gallego argues Democrats need to improve their understanding of what motivates Latino voters in his state, and more broadly across the country, on border security and immigration issues.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Embarrassment motivates many workers to stay in the kafala system.
—Adri Salido, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2025
Why Emotionally Engaging Design Works Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that motivates us to seek rewards, learn new behaviors and stay curious.
—Alex Kreger, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Their best hope is that a quarterback-needy team like the Jets — or another team picking in the teens — really falls in love with Sanders, and that motivates them to get aggressive with an offer to move up.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
My conjecture is that traders are starting to digest what motivates the administration’s DOGE and tariff proposals.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
This message motivates Innie Dylan to participate in the mêlée that ensues in MDR without even asking what’s going on.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Recognition fosters a culture of appreciation, which motivates employees to bring their best selves to work.
—Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Gallego argues Democrats need to improve their understanding of what motivates Latino voters in his state, and more broadly across the country, on border security and immigration issues.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Embarrassment motivates many workers to stay in the kafala system.
—Adri Salido, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2025
Why Emotionally Engaging Design Works Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that motivates us to seek rewards, learn new behaviors and stay curious.
—Alex Kreger, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Their best hope is that a quarterback-needy team like the Jets — or another team picking in the teens — really falls in love with Sanders, and that motivates them to get aggressive with an offer to move up.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
My conjecture is that traders are starting to digest what motivates the administration’s DOGE and tariff proposals.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
This message motivates Innie Dylan to participate in the mêlée that ensues in MDR without even asking what’s going on.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates
Verb
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Pruning also stimulates branching, which encourages more flowers.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2025
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For example, generative AI might provide you with an essay that glorifies a particular addiction or could engage in a dialogue that encourages you to become addicted to this or that addictive substance or non-substance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Passion changes minds and inspires action.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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But Berner would still be white — specifically, the kind of white girl who gets in the face of a Black woman and yells at her that her mere existence inspires violence.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
refinery29.com,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, the treatment stimulates the production of collagen and the growth of smoother, more even skin.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
4 Jan. 2025
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This stimulates autophagy and detox enzymes, resulting in a deep cleansing of the cells and tissue.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Every inch of The White Lotus’s Thailand resort induces a mix of envious longing and burbling queasiness.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2025
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Measles infection also induces a kind of immune amnesia, literally erasing our immune system’s memory and increasing the odds of acquiring other serious infections for several years afterwards.—
Madhukar Pai,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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