as in to encourage
to rouse to action or activity
The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.
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Recent Examples of motivate
While some are ideologically motivated, this group is shrinking, intelligence officials say.
—
Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Many would be shocked to realize that the NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny was very unlikely motivated by politics.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
Greek Fest, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church's Milwaukee-area attraction for six decades, will move to the Waukesha County Expo Center grounds in 2026, a cost- and space-motivated move.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Police believe that the suspect, Luigi Mangione, was motivated by animus toward health insurers.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Many would be shocked to realize that the NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny was very unlikely motivated by politics.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
Greek Fest, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church's Milwaukee-area attraction for six decades, will move to the Waukesha County Expo Center grounds in 2026, a cost- and space-motivated move.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Police believe that the suspect, Luigi Mangione, was motivated by animus toward health insurers.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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Your 7th House of Partnership steadies as boundary-setting Saturn arrives, encouraging clear agreements across your closest bonds so your diplomatic style can bring fairness without overgiving.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The evening was more about the vibe; Gelman encourages all guests to dress up in fancy cocktail attire.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But multiple Democratic senators said that's not enough to persuade them to back off their demands.—
Riley Beggin,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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Renato Renner of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is not persuaded that resolving the conflict between the Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations solves all the problems.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then a week later, Heraskevych received a wave of sympathetic support when he was forced out of the skeleton for refusing to compete without a helmet adorned with more than 20 elite Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed in the war.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Eric Patrick, 31, pleaded guilty in an Orlando courtroom to attempting to entice a 15-year-old, whom Patrick and his husband, Richard Kowalczyk, met on Grindr, a dating app for gay men, according to Patrick’s plea agreement.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Part of what makes Joomra Pillow Slippers enticing is their waterproof design.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While it was made in the ‘90s, the collection (which showed slip dresses, shirts with undulating ruffles, and jacquard silk jackets constructed to look permanently burst-open) was inspired by the romance between Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The work was inspired by cephalopods such as octopuses, which can rapidly alter their skin’s appearance and texture to blend into their surroundings or communicate.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then, they are manually placed on Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs), a grid of tiny electrodes on a biocompatible substrate chip that records and stimulates neurons using 32 electrodes grouped into four sets of eight.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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To wit, lymphatic brushes join the ranks of depuffing tools like gua shas, face rollers, and dry brushes; most working to stimulate lymphatic drainage, your body’s natural detoxification process.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the office, constantly gushing about your spouse or new romantic interest can be cringe-inducing for your coworkers.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Authorities said the indictment alleges that Richard Murray, 31, and others, used a sweepstakes scheme to induce the primarily elderly victims to provide them with money, a scheme taking place since at least 2018.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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