as in plants
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set
a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause
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Recent Examples of instills
An explosion targeting the headquarters of a political party instills fear in a part of the population.
—
ABC News, 11 May 2026
Music is something that instills an immediate reaction.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026
Success instills success and successful outcomes instill pride.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
The first instills obedience; the second, agency.
—Deborah Kenny, Time, 20 Apr. 2026
Looking ahead in these ways instills a sense of forward momentum.
—Mark Travers, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
Still, scrolling through TMZ’s posts of congresspeople instills a strange rush of Schadenfreude.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Home Depot leaned into a cultural narrative – a homeowner improving their home via a project instills pride, the company said.
—Alexandria Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 11 May 2026
Music is something that instills an immediate reaction.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026
Success instills success and successful outcomes instill pride.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
The first instills obedience; the second, agency.
—Deborah Kenny, Time, 20 Apr. 2026
Looking ahead in these ways instills a sense of forward momentum.
—Mark Travers, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
Still, scrolling through TMZ’s posts of congresspeople instills a strange rush of Schadenfreude.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Home Depot leaned into a cultural narrative – a homeowner improving their home via a project instills pride, the company said.
—Alexandria Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instills
Verb
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What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
-
Gardening expert Kris Bordessa also plants as deeply as possible.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
According to her Facebook page, Babcock got married in 2021 and breeds cockapoos and goldendoodles.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Success breeds momentum, and momentum, in turn, creates success.—
Kevin Korte,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The vehicle is integrated with Klein’s SmartArray Technology, which embeds key electronics directly within the transducer array to support a more compact system architecture and preserve valuable vehicle payload space.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
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The company describes it as an ever-alert predictive risk monitor that embeds machine learning directly into the transaction cycle.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
This is a high-spirited opening for curious neighbors and travelers alike, with a mischievous sense of fun that firmly roots guests in their destination.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Louisiana dirty rice is a tasty meat-and-rice dish that roots its flavor in aromatic Cajun seasoning and the holy trinity vegetables.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instills. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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