instruct

verb

in-ˈstrəkt How to pronounce instruct (audio)
Definition of instructnext
1
as in to teach
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field spent his military career instructing young pilots

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to inform
to give information to instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to tell
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the proctors instructed everyone to put their pencils down and hand in their tests

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word instruct different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of instruct are discipline, educate, school, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would discipline be a reasonable alternative to instruct?

While in some cases nearly identical to instruct, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When is educate a more appropriate choice than instruct?

The words educate and instruct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When can school be used instead of instruct?

While the synonyms school and instruct are close in meaning, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is it sensible to use teach instead of instruct?

The meanings of teach and instruct largely overlap; however, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When might train be a better fit than instruct?

Although the words train and instruct have much in common, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

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 instruct How to prep for colonoscopy In addition to that liquid diet, that's also when you may be instructed to take the medications provided by your doctor to help clear your bowels. —Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 10 July 2025 To avoid immediate legal trouble, victims are often instructed to pay immediately, usually through prepaid gift cards, cryptocurrency ATMs, or wire transfers. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025 In mid-June, the judge found the attorney general in contempt, instructing him to provide her with biweekly updates on how the state was obeying her order blocking enforcement of the immigration law. —Jay Weaver july 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025 Visitors are instructed to follow the signs and flags. —Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for instruct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instruct
  1. teach
  2. inform
  3. tell
  4. educate
  5. advise
  6. order
  7. ask
  8. command
Verb
  • These days, Brewington is loving her work with Literacy KC, teaching adult learners to read.
    — Mará Rose Williams July 9, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2025
  • In today’s business culture, we are taught to move fast, scale often and optimize endlessly.
    — Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
Definition of teach
Verb
  • Some of his friends are aware, and Mayer spoke with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to inform him of the campaign only the day prior, out of courtesy.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 5 July 2025
  • The camp previously sent an email to families informing them of the situation, which was later shared by KEYE.
    — David Chiu, People.com, 4 July 2025
Definition of inform
Verb
  • Choosing which works to show and which stories to tell.
    — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • The 21-year-old running back was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery (domestic) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday, July 12, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department told PEOPLE.
    — Escher Walcott, People.com, 13 July 2025
Definition of tell
Verb
  • Lin was educated in China and Europe, but lived in the U.S. for three decades.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 5 July 2025
  • In 2021, the city created a civilian community liaison position to connect police with citizens and educate the public.
    — Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 July 2025
Definition of educate
Verb
  • The Context Diogo Jose Teixeira da Silva, who went by Diogo Jota, and his brother André died on Thursday while driving from Spain to England after a doctor advised them not to fly after Jota received minor lung surgery.
    — Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
  • The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that children do not use fireworks, including sparklers.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2025
Definition of advise
Verb
  • Some of those claims were dismissed by a judge in 2024, but the lawsuit was still ordered to move forward; in June, however, Lizzo filed an appeal aimed at shutting it down for good on the grounds that the dancers’ claims clashed with her First Amendment rights.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 July 2025
  • The company has been ordering fireworks a year in advance, Marietta said.
    — Tim Hrenchir, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Definition of order
Verb
  • Fastow started by going door to door to dozens of insurance brokers in San Francisco and asking them about their pain points and most time consuming tasks.
    — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • He was regularly asked about his access to national defense information, prosecutors said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 July 2025
Definition of ask
Verb
  • Mize, though, is commanding the ball better than ever before, posting career highs in strike percentage and thriving with a career-best 69.7 first-pitch strike rate.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • Oversight is divided between U.S. Army commands in Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
Definition of command

Browse Nearby Words

institutions
instruct
instructed
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Cite this Entry

“Instruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instruct. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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