as in to encourage
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motivate
His retirement was motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family, particularly nurturing Keelan's aspirations on the racetrack.
—
Lydia Mee, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
Moore said the moment with Dickerson helped motivate the Jayhawks.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2025
Share [Findings] Psychopaths recommend harsher punishments for homicides, whether accidental or motivated by profit, but exhibit relatively low concern about killing in general.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
The vice president of the government of Yemen has credited Trump's return to the White House for motivating the Houthis to stand down, citing the president's leadership and willingness to employ the strength of the U.S. military.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for motivate 
Lydia Mee, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
Moore said the moment with Dickerson helped motivate the Jayhawks.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2025
Share [Findings] Psychopaths recommend harsher punishments for homicides, whether accidental or motivated by profit, but exhibit relatively low concern about killing in general.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
The vice president of the government of Yemen has credited Trump's return to the White House for motivating the Houthis to stand down, citing the president's leadership and willingness to employ the strength of the U.S. military.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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The Hair Bros—aka hairstylists Nick Latham and Sean Paul Nother—are encouraging us to take a leaf out of their book and channel that '80s librarian main character energy by embracing our cowlicks.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
25 Jan. 2025
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Instead, the coach is encouraged by what he’s seen from the mobile blueliner as of late.—
Kevin Kurz,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s self-assuredness in his ability to persuade and coerce a new Axis of Evil is a major perceptional error.—
Richard E. Vatz,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Jan. 2025
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Just two Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — voted against advancing Hegseth’s nomination; Democrats are still seeking to persuade others to join them for the final vote, citing accusations about his conduct.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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With that ban set to expire at the end of January, supervisors were forced to make a decision on the recurring problem.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacramento Bee,
30 Jan. 2025
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Without the ice, they are forced to hunt in open water, which is a difficult feat for the large apex predator.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s firing of pro-labor Abruzzo and Wilcox is rumored to entice Amazon and SpaceX to challenge the constitutionality of the NLRB at the Supreme Court.—
Elaine Mallon,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Jan. 2025
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As with many scams, the message contains a kernel of truth—enough to entice taxpayers to click.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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To begin, LaPointe’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection inspired by their muse, Oprah Winfrey is now available online.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
27 Jan. 2025
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It is inspired by the extraordinary real-life story of Mathias Rust, a young West German teenager in 1987 who shocked the world by flying through Soviet air defences and landed a Cessna aeroplane right in the middle of the Red Square.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Editor tip: This balm also includes Centella asiatica (a.k.a. cica) extract to stimulate collagen production to improve texture and bounciness.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 Jan. 2025
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Chronic stress, when the sympathetic nervous system doesn’t have a chance to release control, stimulates cortisol production.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Instead, that sharp intake of breath is induced by a library.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2025
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Both forms of this procedure are done under general anesthesia (using medicines to induce a state of unconsciousness).—
Corey Whelan,
Verywell Health,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near motivate
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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