1
as in provoked
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraged
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the demagogue's fiery rant incited the crowd to riot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incited
The judging controversy, however, incited a firestorm that was just getting started.
—
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
There is no evidence whatsoever that Pretti obstructed federal law enforcement or incited violence on Saturday.
—Karen Cortes, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
After the George Floyd murder and response, something was incited.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Transgender comedian Stacy Cay incited backlash on social media Friday after making a joke about former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb's brain injury.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
The country had reelected Shepherd’s feral heir, but this one incited an insurrection and called it patriotism.
—Alexis Coe, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
Bolduc’s hit on Senators star defenceman Jake Sanderson just before the nine-minute mark of the first period sent Sanderson into the Canadiens’ bench and incited Sens tough guy Kurtis MacDermid to go after him, handing the Canadiens a power play.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Halloween was just around the corner, and the Tylenol murders incited panic among parents who feared trick-or-treat candy could be laced with poison or razors.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 24 Oct. 2025
Earlier this year, the Parenthood alum incited anger for sharing a NSFW post of Bell doing nude yoga to celebrate the news of her Nobody Wants This Emmy nomination.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
There is no evidence whatsoever that Pretti obstructed federal law enforcement or incited violence on Saturday.
—Karen Cortes, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
After the George Floyd murder and response, something was incited.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Transgender comedian Stacy Cay incited backlash on social media Friday after making a joke about former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb's brain injury.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
The country had reelected Shepherd’s feral heir, but this one incited an insurrection and called it patriotism.
—Alexis Coe, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
Bolduc’s hit on Senators star defenceman Jake Sanderson just before the nine-minute mark of the first period sent Sanderson into the Canadiens’ bench and incited Sens tough guy Kurtis MacDermid to go after him, handing the Canadiens a power play.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Halloween was just around the corner, and the Tylenol murders incited panic among parents who feared trick-or-treat candy could be laced with poison or razors.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 24 Oct. 2025
Earlier this year, the Parenthood alum incited anger for sharing a NSFW post of Bell doing nude yoga to celebrate the news of her Nobody Wants This Emmy nomination.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incited
Verb
-
The refusal to be endlessly provoked.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
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The law provoked fraught debates in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Schwartz encouraged the public to be active participants in community science.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Organizers encouraged people to join to stand together in love, peace and prayer.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Suckers can be stimulated to grow for a variety of reasons, such as the vigor of a plant’s root system in situations where the plant is grafted (as many non-native witchhazels and tree cultivars are).—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
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Economic shifts and declining cost curves have stimulated clean energy in a way that rules could not have done alone.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incited. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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