1
as in to inspire
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to promote
to help the growth or development of
asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encourage
Beyond Yoga is not just encouraging shoppers to Seek Beyond, but is also doing that itself.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 24 July 2025
High humidity levels can wreak havoc in many ways, like encouraging mold and mildew growth, trapping allergens, and potentially even damaging your furniture, too.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 24 July 2025
The Munro's crew boarded fishing vessels 32 times to ensure compliance with U.S. law, preserve the integrity of fish stocks, encourage sustainable fishing practices and maintain a level playing field within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, according to the Coast Guard.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Attendees are encouraged to bring school supplies to support Mount Dora public schools.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encourage
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 24 July 2025
High humidity levels can wreak havoc in many ways, like encouraging mold and mildew growth, trapping allergens, and potentially even damaging your furniture, too.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 24 July 2025
The Munro's crew boarded fishing vessels 32 times to ensure compliance with U.S. law, preserve the integrity of fish stocks, encourage sustainable fishing practices and maintain a level playing field within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, according to the Coast Guard.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Attendees are encouraged to bring school supplies to support Mount Dora public schools.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encourage
Verb
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The Baxter Building The Baxter Building, the Baxter apartment, and Reed’s lab within it are very much inspired by the architecture of Saarinen and Niemeyer.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
26 July 2025
-
Billy Joel has written some of the biggest hits of his generation, some of which were inspired by his family.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The organization aims to promote local music, art and live experiences that drive community, culture and tourism.—
Mars Salazar,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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That means staying informed, promoting continuous learning, and guiding others through uncertainty with honesty.—
Kathy Caprino,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Sculptra is made of poly-L-lactic acid and directly provokes the body’s inflammatory response.—
Emma Sandler,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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Britain's move will almost certainly provoke an angry response from Israel and the U.S.—
Henry Austin,
NBC news,
29 July 2025
Verb
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A day earlier, conservative host Megyn Kelly urged Trump against potentially pardoning Combs.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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Japan will continue to urge the U.S. to sign the presidential order to bring auto tariffs down as soon as possible, Hayashi added, according to a Google translation of his speech in Japanese.—
Lim Hui Jie,Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But fundamentally transforming a street that for decades has largely served a young and working-class night-time crowd — and cultivated a reputation among locals as the stepchild of downtown Austin — is no easy lift.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Over the years, she’s cultivated a model built on partnership and trust—aligning closely with community leaders, government stakeholders and local changemakers to build programs that are sustainable and scalable.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
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But policymakers have so far avoided the mass cash handouts that the U.S. and Hong Kong gave residents to stimulate spending after the pandemic.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
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The bill follows advocacy efforts by TKO, the parent company of UFC and WWE, to stimulate interest in Congress for creating more and better professional opportunities for boxers in the U.S.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Taken together across the economy, the smaller pool of job seekers roughly has offset the softer demand, nudging down the unemployment rate from 4.2% to a historically low 4.1% in June.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
29 July 2025
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Game Design Choices Carry Real Compliance Risk Regulators have also turned their attention to the ways games nudge users into spending.—
AJ Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Encourage questions to foster an open dialogue about financial matters.—
Winnie Sun,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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The transformative power of data lies in its ability to foster active, meaningful collaboration.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encourage. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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