as in motivational
serving or likely to arouse action or activity
The biggest motivating factor behind her decision to change jobs was the pay increase. The positive feedback he received was very motivating.
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as in encouraging
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 motivating
Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Staying true to this purpose can be a supremely motivating force in the face of stressors that might otherwise knock you down or leave you reeling.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Feb. 2026
Lower court declined to block map A special three-judge panel declined to block the map, ruling 2-1 that Republicans failed to show race was the motivating factor behind the new lines.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Psychologists who study the nature of ambition have consistently found that aspirations are motivating in proportion to their attainability.
—Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
But there are other factors motivating Faber to get in the cage once more.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Mars couples with Pluto in your 3rd House of Disclosures, intensifying conversations and motivating you to speak with conviction while staying curious about others.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Some of that was real, some of it was exaggerated, some of it was just imagined — and all of it became a potent, highly motivating political narrative.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Crockett has said the way to win is to focus on motivating Democrats.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Here's how fear and empowerment are motivating thousands of Indy students to protest ICE.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Staying true to this purpose can be a supremely motivating force in the face of stressors that might otherwise knock you down or leave you reeling.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Feb. 2026
Lower court declined to block map A special three-judge panel declined to block the map, ruling 2-1 that Republicans failed to show race was the motivating factor behind the new lines.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Psychologists who study the nature of ambition have consistently found that aspirations are motivating in proportion to their attainability.
—Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
But there are other factors motivating Faber to get in the cage once more.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Mars couples with Pluto in your 3rd House of Disclosures, intensifying conversations and motivating you to speak with conviction while staying curious about others.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Some of that was real, some of it was exaggerated, some of it was just imagined — and all of it became a potent, highly motivating political narrative.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Crockett has said the way to win is to focus on motivating Democrats.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivating
Adjective
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Robbins broke out as a motivational speaker sensation in the mid-90’s, parlaying his program into transformational programs, immersive experiences and executive education.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
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But there was one moment during the performance that stuck with me, when Bad Bunny gave an impassioned motivational speech in Spanish, urging the audience to recognize their worth.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The challenge lies in balancing functional benefit with the risk of encouraging unnecessary anthropomorphism and its broader social consequences.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
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This structure is intended to help keep value circulating within the community, encouraging positive participation rather than framing compliance as a penalty.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In August 2024, students stormed her official residence, smashing walls and looting its contents, forcing her to flee into neighboring India and exile.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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In 2022, gilt markets were shaken when then-Prime Minister Liz Truss announced a swathe of unfunded tax cuts — forcing an intervention from the Bank of England and leading to Truss’ resignation after just 44 days into the job.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As the nation honors Black History Month, stories of resilience, innovation, and community impact take center stage — none more inspiring than the journey of Trish Miller.—
Jobina Fortson-Evans,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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For fans at home, watching a professional athlete battle through injury can be inspiring.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Part of what makes Joomra Pillow Slippers enticing is their waterproof design.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Additional reductions may actually complicate the homebuying process by enticing new buyers to the market and, thus, lead to higher sales prices than what's currently available.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The lengths to which users have gone to try to keep GPT-4o alive, whether by persuading the company to keep it online or by preserving it themselves, speak to the importance the chatbot has taken in the lives of some of its users, potentially because of the nature of human psychology.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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In other words, if Warsh were to succeed in persuading his colleagues on the Board and FOMC in slimming down the Fed — something not at all sure given the limited power of the Chair — there would be difficult tradeoffs.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Protein helps build and preserve muscle by supplying amino acids and stimulating muscle protein synthesis, especially when coupled with strength training.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
9 Feb. 2026
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The researchers found that targeting this network with brain-stimulating treatments could better alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivating. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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