1
as in provoked
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the medical breakthrough instigated a whole new field of therapy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraged
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the charge that the scene in the movie had instigated teenagers to commit similar acts of vandalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instigated
The same night the videos of the shooting appeared online, Peters was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on an unrelated misdemeanor battery charge, stemming from an altercation that Peters allegedly instigated between two women in Osceola County.
—
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
The Osceola Sheriff’s Office said Peters instigated the fight and posted it online to exploit the women.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Details of what happened were confirmed to The Athletic by several sources who said the confrontation was instigated by Rudiger.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office alleged Peters instigated a fight between his girlfriend, Violet Lentz, 24, and a 19-year-old influencer in February at a short-term rental in Kissimmee, Fla.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The demonstrations have been primarily instigated by farmers, agricultural contractors and road haulage operators, who are upset with the government’s response to the spike in fuel prices since the onset of the Iran war.
—Michael Considine, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
No angry, in-your-face, Twitter-like battles were instigated.
—Aaron Everitt, STAT, 10 Apr. 2026
Police have said Lil Tjay instigated a confrontation with Offset and his entourage in the lead-up to the gunfire.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Monday was far from the first time there were moves to get Lively and Baldoni to solve the December 2024 instigated legal matter without the drama of a trial.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
The Osceola Sheriff’s Office said Peters instigated the fight and posted it online to exploit the women.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Details of what happened were confirmed to The Athletic by several sources who said the confrontation was instigated by Rudiger.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office alleged Peters instigated a fight between his girlfriend, Violet Lentz, 24, and a 19-year-old influencer in February at a short-term rental in Kissimmee, Fla.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The demonstrations have been primarily instigated by farmers, agricultural contractors and road haulage operators, who are upset with the government’s response to the spike in fuel prices since the onset of the Iran war.
—Michael Considine, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
No angry, in-your-face, Twitter-like battles were instigated.
—Aaron Everitt, STAT, 10 Apr. 2026
Police have said Lil Tjay instigated a confrontation with Offset and his entourage in the lead-up to the gunfire.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Monday was far from the first time there were moves to get Lively and Baldoni to solve the December 2024 instigated legal matter without the drama of a trial.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigated
Verb
-
No surprise that the rationale provoked instant social media outrage.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
Similar summaries of the show in the magazine Soap Opera Digest provoked outrage within the fledgling magazine’s readership.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Jimenez’s ‘Si Senor’ song was belted out at regular intervals and fans would have been encouraged to hear the Mexican, speaking after the game, open up the prospect of a return to Wolves when his Fulham contract expires this summer.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Matching the anything-goes vibe that flows through the resort, the breezy restaurant pavilion is merely a suggestion—ordering lunch or dinner to your private terrace, a candlelit table on the beach, or one of the dozen-or-so secret seating nooks scattered around the property is actively encouraged.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Foreign governments are dumping US Treasury bonds to stabilize their currencies amid the energy shock and financial volatility triggered by the Iran war.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
-
The median 4-week loss after the sell signal is triggered has been 1%, according to the bank's review of 24 sell signals going back to 2011.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Economic development will be stimulated by large infrastructure investments, but energy and other resources will be strained.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
When people spend long periods in activities that require very little mental effort, those pathways may not be stimulated in the same way.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigated. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
