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
Conversely, players who feel they were snubbed in the voting may be motivated to prove the voters made a mistake.
—
Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
That’s one reason why firms are motivated to makeover AI’s reputation.
—Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Perry cites her brother John’s San Diego heavy-metal band, Kaos, for motivating her to pursue music early on.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
Tory Lanez was stabbed in prison this week, prompting many to question what motivated the attack.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
That’s one reason why firms are motivated to makeover AI’s reputation.
—Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Perry cites her brother John’s San Diego heavy-metal band, Kaos, for motivating her to pursue music early on.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
Tory Lanez was stabbed in prison this week, prompting many to question what motivated the attack.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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There is no fee to nominate and self-nominations are encouraged.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2025
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Both trains offer luxury journeys that encourage passengers to partake in the joys of slow travel.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2025
Verb
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For fifteen years, the Patriotic Millionaires have waged an earnest battle to persuade wealthy people to lobby for higher taxes on themselves.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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The filmmakers told me that Spiegelman’s free-speech run-in with the county school board was instrumental in persuading WNET to back Disaster Is My Muse.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Verb
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That gives you a puncher’s chance against a team that runs on makes and misses and forces defensive miscues by sheer virtue of its pace of play.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
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Set in the winter of 1591, the play unfolds across three clandestine meetings where the rival playwrights are forced into creative collaboration amid a climate of conspiracy and paranoia.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The Navy also has spent considerably more than the others to entice sailors to reenlist, doling out retention bonuses to roughly 70,000 service members for each of the past three years.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 May 2025
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Duffy recently announced a sweeping program to upgrade the agency's technology infrastructure, as well as hiring incentives to entice more would-be air traffic controllers.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Inside, the stage was inspired by the Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles, said art director Matt Fiuza.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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Enter the high-stakes world of Squid Game: The Experience in New York City to tackle five immersive challenges inspired by the breakout Netflix hit from South Korea.—
Nevin Martell,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
Verb
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These wildfires, while destructive, have also provided researchers with insights into giant sequoia ecology, revealing that moderate-severity burns can stimulate seed release and create favorable germination conditions.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Muscles, heart rate, strength, motor control — and the brain — all are stimulated by exercise.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2025
Verb
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In other words, melatonin doesn’t induce sleep so much as permit it.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
23 May 2025
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But according to Matt Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Automotive Research, Europe still has an ace card to play with its leading manufacturers’ brand power which has the ability to induce excitement.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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