as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction
an artist who deliberately creates instigating works of art that are sure to arouse controversy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in provoking
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
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 instigating
Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
But even then, Hewson and his team were the only people on the project trying to discover the instigating pathogen.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Urbieta’s feature debut is an instigating social drama that follows the tensions between a couple after an encounter with migrants trying to cross the river between the two countries.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Bolsonaro faced five total charges, including attempting to overthrow Brazil's democratic system, participation in an armed criminal organization, and instigating violence that threatened state assets and heritage sites.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
After instigating the pile on last time, Vance did not speak at all this time.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Fogel is accused of instigating another chase involving Boerne police on May 30, and speeding by an officer at the scene of a crash, according to the release.
—Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
But even then, Hewson and his team were the only people on the project trying to discover the instigating pathogen.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Urbieta’s feature debut is an instigating social drama that follows the tensions between a couple after an encounter with migrants trying to cross the river between the two countries.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Bolsonaro faced five total charges, including attempting to overthrow Brazil's democratic system, participation in an armed criminal organization, and instigating violence that threatened state assets and heritage sites.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
After instigating the pile on last time, Vance did not speak at all this time.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigating
Adjective
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Prosecutors are citing the provocative act theory, a part of the law that makes someone liable for situations where a violent crime victim uses lawful, fatal self-defense.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
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Experts earlier said North Korea could conduct provocative missile tests before or during the APEC summit to underscore its commitment to gain recognition as a nuclear weapons state.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This tender, wry and thought-provoking story offers a different perspective on looking for love, regret and the ‘what if’ of it all.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
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Skims is no stranger to bold and thought-provoking products, having previously caused a stir with its controversial line of face wraps.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In low, incantatory voices, the lamas were reading from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, encouraging my grandmother to move forward without fear in the bardo between death and rebirth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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But rather than responding with anger, the university’s president, Astrid Tuminez, is encouraging dialogue.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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For context, geomagnetic storms are caused by fiery eruptions from the sun's surface that send charged particles zipping toward our planet.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Sophia James began a TikTok experiment by posting seven videos promoting the same song to test the platform's algorithm.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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After decades of ignoring advances in data and analytics and mainly promoting from within, the Rockies seem intent on hiring an outsider to be their new head of baseball operations, after dismissing general manager Bill Schmidt at the start of October.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pneumococcal vaccines work by stimulating an immune system response to pneumonia bacteria.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
20 Oct. 2025
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The mouse portion of the new research found that Covid mRNA vaccination appeared to make the immune system more attuned to recognizing tumors as a threat by stimulating dendritic cells, a type of white blood cell.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Less than 48 hours later, ICE shut down the block, barreling down Broadway against one-way traffic in armored vehicles, triggering national media attention and immediate protests.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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The newspaper said that one of the two men was planning to leave the country to Algeria, triggering the arrests.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, the project adds another exclusive tier to a venue already marked by VIP enclaves, raising questions about how much of COTA’s most distinctive real estate will remain truly accessible — and for how long.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The key to raising emotionally resilient kids is the ability to repair.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigating. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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