1
as in to inspire
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to promote
to help the growth or development of
asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encourage
The editorial also criticized health benefit eligibility after eight years of service — a policy many cities use to encourage continuity and long-term commitment.
—
Josh Levy, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
The Cincinnati Tenants Union, comprised of about 150 residents of former Vision & Beyond buildings, held a press conference July 9 outside the Hamilton County Courthouse to encourage the judge to replace prodigy with a new receiver.
—Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 July 2025
Offer tax incentives to encourage smaller enterprises to participate.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Removing the flower above a set of leaves or a new bud helps encourage branching.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encourage
Josh Levy, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
The Cincinnati Tenants Union, comprised of about 150 residents of former Vision & Beyond buildings, held a press conference July 9 outside the Hamilton County Courthouse to encourage the judge to replace prodigy with a new receiver.
—Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 July 2025
Offer tax incentives to encourage smaller enterprises to participate.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Removing the flower above a set of leaves or a new bud helps encourage branching.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encourage
Verb
-
The name was inspired by the property it’s built on.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
14 July 2025
-
His 2024 album Tears on the Beach, inspired by his time on Survivor, featured collaborations between indie rockers and reality stars—pairings that included Mannequin Pussy’s Marisa Dabice with Season 45 winner Dee Valladares, and Shannon Shaw alongside Coach Benjamin Wade, a.k.a.—
Sarah Grant,
Rolling Stone,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Benson Boone has spent 2025 promoting his new album American Heart, which debuted on the Billboard charts just a few weeks ago.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
Investigators found no evidence of a client list or blackmail scheme involving prominent individuals, contradicting years of speculation and conspiracy theories that both Patel and Bongino had previously promoted.—
Adeola Adeosun
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Run adversarial simulations, employ red teams, and commission third-party evaluations that deliberately try to provoke harmful behaviors.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Don't run away or climb a tree, which may provoke a chase.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact Cold Case Detective Ayala at (510) 675-5259.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
9 July 2025
-
Wright launched a campaign on Platt’s behalf urging influential people like Benjamin Franklin to help him.—
Time,
Time,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Ultimately, cultivating new talent, rather than trying to outbid the likes of Meta, may prove a more sustainable path for OpenAI in its quest to stay highly mission-oriented while supporting an industry grappling with a scarcity of top-tier talent.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
5 July 2025
-
Lamont has cultivated an image as an affable aristocrat while spending about $60 million of his fortune on his four bids for statewide office.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Doing so could stimulate economic growth, and would be warmly welcomed by the White House and investors.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
Examples include flashing notifications that make your phone jump and squeak, colorful rewards when others like your posts, and algorithms that push out the most emotional content to stimulate your most base emotions of anger, shame or glee.—
Lisa Schirch,
The Conversation,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
The staff also nudged them to members of O’Hara’s social and artistic world, including the artist Nell Blaine and the poet Kenneth Koch.—
Brian Schaefer
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, condos nudged down the average with a value drop of less than 1% countywide.—
Douglas Hanks
July 5,
Miami Herald,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
But what’s needed is a place to truly foster and nurture those connections.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
8 July 2025
-
By taking these steps, your recommendation will effectively showcase your nephew's potential while upholding the integrity of the hiring process and fostering workplace harmony.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encourage. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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