1
as in teaches
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field
spent his military career instructing young pilots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in informs
to give information to
instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tells
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
the proctors instructed everyone to put their pencils down and hand in their tests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instructs
The legislation, which won't take effect until after the November 2026 election, instructs the secretary of the Senate to place senators' paychecks on hold during the duration of any future federal government shutdowns.
—
Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 14 May 2026
The memo instructs creators who sign on to make new social media accounts under usernames that reflect their names or a nickname, avoiding brands, random numbers or anything that looks like spam.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
The movie opens with Lucila (Anna Díaz, the sole reason to keep watching) being woken by her mother Isabel (Adriana Paz, from Emilia Perez), who instructs her to take care of her little brother before disappearing to Spain.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The bill instructs the Office of Cannabis Management to seek those funds.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The website instructs guests not to go to the airport, confirming that the airline carrier has officially shut down and all flights are cancelled.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 7 May 2026
To remove wrinkles on the bottom of the garment, wear the glove and press the fabric between your hand and the steamer, instructs Lewenhaupt.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 4 May 2026
The resolution instructs congressional committees to draft legislation and authorize $70 billion to pay for the law enforcement agencies for roughly the next three years.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 14 May 2026
The memo instructs creators who sign on to make new social media accounts under usernames that reflect their names or a nickname, avoiding brands, random numbers or anything that looks like spam.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
The movie opens with Lucila (Anna Díaz, the sole reason to keep watching) being woken by her mother Isabel (Adriana Paz, from Emilia Perez), who instructs her to take care of her little brother before disappearing to Spain.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The bill instructs the Office of Cannabis Management to seek those funds.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The website instructs guests not to go to the airport, confirming that the airline carrier has officially shut down and all flights are cancelled.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 7 May 2026
To remove wrinkles on the bottom of the garment, wear the glove and press the fabric between your hand and the steamer, instructs Lewenhaupt.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 4 May 2026
The resolution instructs congressional committees to draft legislation and authorize $70 billion to pay for the law enforcement agencies for roughly the next three years.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructs
Verb
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Jonathan Zimmerman teaches history and education at the University of Pennsylvania.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Rooting for a hapless team for nearly two decades teaches you to find pleasures beyond victory.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Verb
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From bougainvillea pink to garden greens, see how nature informs designer Peter Dunham's fearless use of color and pattern.—
Eleni N. Gage,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
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Inside, the metal drive-mode knob is treated to a red anodized finish, which also informs the color of the contrast stitching, seatbelts, headrest embroidery, and piping.—
Bradley Iger,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Verb
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In it, Martin, who is curating the show, tells Elmo of the significance of the performance — and gets some help choosing the performers.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
-
Turner tells him the story is already filed with the press.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
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The Santa Ana Unified School District, which educates some 35,000 students across 52 campuses, was impacted, though.—
Kristy Hutchings,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Coleman also advises not to let children share social media accounts with adults.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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The hot weather health warning advises residents to take precautions to prevent serious illness from extreme heat, as the heat index in the city is expected to reach 97 degrees on Tuesday.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Beaulah orders Joaquin to clean up the mess, which involves dragging his brother to rehab and possibly intimidating Wes’s highly suspicious widow, Whitney (Olivia Rose Keegan), into leaving town.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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The system also surfaces items a customer usually orders but forgot to mention — reducing the leakage that happens when a store’s shelf label goes missing or a product gets moved.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The city asks residents reporting violations to provide the location, date, time and type of activity observed.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
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In the last few pages of the play, there’s something so powerful in the way Linda asks Willy to come to bed — the knowing and the tiredness and the strength and sadness in it.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Xabi Alonso has been exposed to far too much elite football wisdom to be labelled a mere Guardiola disciple, but his style of play offers the path to a positive form of continuity while his status in the game commands far greater respect than any BlueCo hire since Mauricio Pochettino.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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His furniture regularly commands staggering prices at auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s, while his architectural works are increasingly gaining recognition as some of the most important examples of postwar Italian modernism.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instructs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructs. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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