as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
fear of failing should be plenty of motivation to study for the test
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motivation
The second factor driving the migration of the wealthy is motivation.
—
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Adapting and expanding upon a lean Don Winslow novella, Layton adds many sometimes unnecessarily complex ingredients to the pot, with characters intersecting and allegiances and motivations often contradicting one another.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026
For the majority, money is the primary motivation.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Ryan didn’t spend much time this winter reflecting on a trying final two months of the 2025 season, a span that occasionally left him struggling to find motivation after seeing 10 teammates traded.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Adapting and expanding upon a lean Don Winslow novella, Layton adds many sometimes unnecessarily complex ingredients to the pot, with characters intersecting and allegiances and motivations often contradicting one another.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026
For the majority, money is the primary motivation.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Ryan didn’t spend much time this winter reflecting on a trying final two months of the 2025 season, a span that occasionally left him struggling to find motivation after seeing 10 teammates traded.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivation
Noun
-
Just more incentive to get down the hill as quickly as possible.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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To be eligible for the Spirit Awards, a movie's budget cannot exceed $30 million after tax incentives.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Poor weather was the impetus for the decision.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
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What was the impetus for your first chess game?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Aleksandar Mishkov, dog trainer and owner of The Daily Tail, offers a note of encouragement to all would-be pup owners.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
9 Feb. 2026
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He could be heard often on Saturday screaming encouragement to the middle school group during one-on-one drills.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His campaign focuses on national security and economic stimulus.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party won a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of parliament, as voters gave a resounding endorsement of her right-wing agenda, which includes fiscal stimulus.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivation. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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