1
as in provoked
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 encouraged
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instigated
Moreno countered that the ruling party was silencing opposition voices and insisted Fernández Noroña had instigated the fight.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And on the day, Mike instigated it.
—Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
The closure of the group page came after several formal complaints to Facebook’s owner Meta, instigated by the feminist activist and author Carolina Capria.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Weeks after public calls for a White man who some say instigated the July 26 Downtown brawl to face charges, the 45-year-old has been charged with a low-level misdemeanor − and few seem satisfied.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 22 Aug. 2025
The project was instigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s effort to control her own songs and how they’re used.
—Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
It wasn’t instigated by formal education or a big career, but from simply being around the work, watching things get built, fixed, and beautified.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
The teen who instigated the fight pulled a knife and tried to stab his rival, but his opponent managed to grab the blade and stab him with it, sources said.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Ant Farm’s Embassy to the Dolphins was never constructed, but the presentation of the idea in mainstream media instigated conversations amongst human readers that would otherwise never have happened.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And on the day, Mike instigated it.
—Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
The closure of the group page came after several formal complaints to Facebook’s owner Meta, instigated by the feminist activist and author Carolina Capria.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Weeks after public calls for a White man who some say instigated the July 26 Downtown brawl to face charges, the 45-year-old has been charged with a low-level misdemeanor − and few seem satisfied.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 22 Aug. 2025
The project was instigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s effort to control her own songs and how they’re used.
—Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
It wasn’t instigated by formal education or a big career, but from simply being around the work, watching things get built, fixed, and beautified.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
The teen who instigated the fight pulled a knife and tried to stab his rival, but his opponent managed to grab the blade and stab him with it, sources said.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Ant Farm’s Embassy to the Dolphins was never constructed, but the presentation of the idea in mainstream media instigated conversations amongst human readers that would otherwise never have happened.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigated
Verb
-
In practice, that could mean a withdrawal of political cover for Israel's ongoing invasion of Gaza, which has provoked outrage among European and Arab nations as famine conditions spread.—
Gram Slattery,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The moves provoked legal challenges over First Amendment rights.—
Dan Gooding
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mixing and matching is encouraged.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Those who experienced the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The fallout from Singapore's money-laundering scandal and high-profile crypto failures like Three Arrows Capital and FTX triggered an aggressive compliance push in 2024, according to Iris Xu, founder of corporate services firm Jenga, whose clients are wealthy mainland Chinese in Singapore.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
-
That contract, reached after the union leveraged a strike threat in 2024, included coverage of PBS Kids’ animation for the first time and triggered union representation for writers on shows like Molly of Denali and Work It Out Wombats.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But dogs still need ways to burn off energy and stay mentally stimulated.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For example, one study found that breast cancer cell growth was stimulated by low concentrations of genistein and inhibited by higher concentrations.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigated. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share