1
as in motivations
something that arouses action or activity
She traveled cross-country seeking inspiration for her next book. He credits his mother as his inspiration for becoming a social worker.
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2
as in comforts
a feeling of ease from grief or trouble
The return of summer brought with it a new sense of inspiration.
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Recent Examples of inspirations
The Syrian Revolution inspired Zaalan to become a clown after losing friends, acquaintances and inspirations who were truth tellers and artists.
—
Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Looks-maxxing is an ethos of self-improvement taken to an extreme, and its more explicit inspirations are the pickup artists of early-2000s infamy and the incels of 2010s 4Chan.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
The city is looking to Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York as one of its inspirations.
—Aria Jones, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Still, at its best, Needle Guy applies Brady’s prankish energy to unsettling inversions of his inspirations.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Two differing styles in the squared circle and on that board, their pieces are colorful, utilizing their own inspirations displayed for Sunset Flip.
—James Varsallone, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
In the weeks ahead, social media has been flooded with outfit inspirations that incorporate hanbok styling and accessories.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
But these spare parts only serve to highlight the disconnected nature of the director’s inspirations.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Looks-maxxing is an ethos of self-improvement taken to an extreme, and its more explicit inspirations are the pickup artists of early-2000s infamy and the incels of 2010s 4Chan.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
The city is looking to Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York as one of its inspirations.
—Aria Jones, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Still, at its best, Needle Guy applies Brady’s prankish energy to unsettling inversions of his inspirations.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Two differing styles in the squared circle and on that board, their pieces are colorful, utilizing their own inspirations displayed for Sunset Flip.
—James Varsallone, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
In the weeks ahead, social media has been flooded with outfit inspirations that incorporate hanbok styling and accessories.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
But these spare parts only serve to highlight the disconnected nature of the director’s inspirations.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspirations
Noun
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Luis Alvarado, a Republican political analyst, says that Bianco has political motivations of his own.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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The interior worlds of these women remain obscured and their motivations go unexplored.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Unfortunately, the prospect of sacrificing life’s comforts to achieve and live in Lean FIRE, or even FIRE, is too much for some to fathom.—
Carlos Grider,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The 2-in-1 Hot Tool and Air Glosser is upgraded with a Liquid Gold colorway and achieves salon-quality, camera-ready blowouts from the comforts of home sweet home.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.—
Calin Van Paris,
Outside,
19 Mar. 2026
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In October 2024 ahead of her own stay at MSG, Billie Eilish recorded encouragements to take the subways for environmental benefits.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To no one’s surprise, the loudest cheers during yesterday’s opening-day introductions at Wrigley Field were reserved for Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, writes Paul Sullivan.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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At Gwanghwamun and City Hall Station, people watching the same screen naturally became aware of one another and started exchanging reactions—glances, cheers, the small involuntary responses that turn a crowd into a social body.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The houses below are famously adorned with colorful reliefs that recount the history of each owner’s family.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
15 Feb. 2026
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From the old mail chute in the lobby to the original grand marble portrait reliefs on the ornate curving staircase, attention to historical preservation adds charm in all the public—and even not-so-public—spaces, like the basement bank safe where the original Coca-Cola recipe once resided.—
Su-Jit Lin,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Toward the end of 2022 and into 2023, Perardi and Youngblood spoke constantly, looping through the same horror, the same consolations.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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Over three nights, hundreds of drivers in both Super Late Model and Open Wheel Modified divisions will battle through prelims on Thursday and Friday, including hot laps, heat races, consolations, and qualifiers, to earn a spot in Saturday’s high-stakes finale.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inspirations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspirations. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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