as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
the huge rebates that the auto companies were offering were all the encouragement I needed to buy a new car
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encouragement
Ronald and Nellie have been a constant source of encouragement for Simone, who has competed on the national stage at the highest level, including winning four medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
—
Matthew Acosta, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Support comes in different forms, from people purchasing books to others simply offering encouragement or financial backing.
—Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
The economic spiral led to the outbreak of protests on December 28, 2025, which, at the encouragement of the United States, spread in January 2026 across Iran (see 2026 Iranian protests).
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Paddack noted how Sandy Alcantara came to him in the dugout and gave him words of encouragement.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encouragement
Matthew Acosta, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Support comes in different forms, from people purchasing books to others simply offering encouragement or financial backing.
—Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
The economic spiral led to the outbreak of protests on December 28, 2025, which, at the encouragement of the United States, spread in January 2026 across Iran (see 2026 Iranian protests).
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Paddack noted how Sandy Alcantara came to him in the dugout and gave him words of encouragement.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encouragement
Noun
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The core problem, attorney fee incentives, was left untouched.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
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The incentive structure is based on multiples of five cases from the Criminal Trial Support Unit’s unassigned defendants’ list, where bar advocates can take on five, 10, or 15 such cases for a possible maximum of $7,500 in incentive bonuses — 15 cases at $500 each.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And taking small steps to connect with others — even as simple as engaging in idle chitchat with a stranger — can be an impetus for broader change.—
Keith Wagstaff,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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Didn’t even know what the impetus was for the saying.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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What were the hostage takers’ motivations?—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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The other is a patchy, unpersuasive psychodrama about the underlying motivations and years-later ramifications of an unspeakable act—or, in this case, an unrealized plan to commit an unspeakable act.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To check whether progesterone was the trigger, the researchers removed the female from the barrier tank and replaced her with conical plastic tubes coated with various chemical stimuli, sliding them into the small holes of the wall divider.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2026
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In general, weight loss means less load on your bones, which reduces the stimulus to create new bone cells.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encouragement. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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