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
He was asked what motivates him.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Ask what motivates you to network in the first place.
—Sarah Maokosy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
What motivates your entrepreneurial drive today?
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
That gives me a great sense of satisfaction, keeps me mentally and physically active, and motivates me to keep on keeping on.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
My love for love and support from the people around me [motivates me].
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And Thomas said CNIOs need to speak the language and understand what motivates the staff.
—Lauren Giella
claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Whatever motivates these acts, the fault and the responsibility lie with the perpetrator.
—ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Ask what motivates you to network in the first place.
—Sarah Maokosy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
What motivates your entrepreneurial drive today?
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
That gives me a great sense of satisfaction, keeps me mentally and physically active, and motivates me to keep on keeping on.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
My love for love and support from the people around me [motivates me].
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And Thomas said CNIOs need to speak the language and understand what motivates the staff.
—Lauren Giella
claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Whatever motivates these acts, the fault and the responsibility lie with the perpetrator.
—ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates
Verb
-
For holidays that are primarily observed in the United States, Tillery encourages travelers to look beyond domestic trips.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In general, the State Department encourages all Americans who travel abroad to sign up for its free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) before any international trip.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With showy wine-red blossoms that perfume the garden with the distinctive aromas of chocolate and vanilla from mid-summer through fall, chocolate cosmos entices butterflies and curious gardeners alike.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The structure is illustrated below, with one player positioned on the byline and another level with the penalty area to form a triangle that entices opponents out to defend.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Some of the material will stay in the coma, while the rest will fall into the comet's tail after pressure from the sun — known as the solar wind — forces it there.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Moving on, however, becomes a problem when a mysterious unseen force traps and forces them to relive past traumas together in this supernatural soap opera.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Cherry persuades Harriet to publicly expose Laura, to talk to journalists and manufacture a viral story.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Branching results like that inspires experimentation in character builds, which then encourages multiple playthroughs to see just how out-of-hand a situation could have gotten.—
Jason Fanelli,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Regulates Appetite Magnesium stimulates the small intestine to release a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK).—
Devineé Lingo,
Health,
22 Oct. 2025
-
This stimulates your ability to talk to others and share your feelings.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gaining traction among environmental advocates, mechanochemistry induces chemical reactions through basic mechanical energy instead of energy-intensive heat sources.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Perhaps the use of photographs induces a nostalgia for an imagined time before photography existed?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Through her restraint, Roberts provokes in us some semblance of empathy for her character – in a movie where everyone else is basically monstrous.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Every action provokes a reaction.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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