instruct

Synonym Chooser

How is the word instruct different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of instruct are discipline, educate, school, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would discipline be a reasonable alternative to instruct?

While in some cases nearly identical to instruct, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When is educate a more appropriate choice than instruct?

The words educate and instruct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When can school be used instead of instruct?

While the synonyms school and instruct are close in meaning, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is it sensible to use teach instead of instruct?

The meanings of teach and instruct largely overlap; however, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When might train be a better fit than instruct?

Although the words train and instruct have much in common, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instruct Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed his team to push for ceasefire terms and security guarantees without compromising Ukraine's territorial integrity. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025 China is also instructing its carriers to stop buying airline parts and other components from U.S. companies, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the situation. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2025 As a private contractor, Harris taught Roku Jutsu for over 25 years, instructing clients in close-quarters combat. Ethan Stone, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025 So, if a failing coal power plant is instructed by DOE to stay open to help maintain the electric supply for new data centers, the public would likely be stuck with extra utility costs as well as potential health costs. Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instruct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instruct
Verb
  • More than a decade on, the So Kates have become such a fixture in Zendaya’s wardrobe that even her employers, Louis Vuitton and Valentino, have been taught to expect no less.
    Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Supervisors who focused not just on academic content, but also on teaching academic skills and demystifying academic culture, helped students feel more equipped and less alone.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • By staying informed and adaptable, banks can responsibly explore stablecoin applications, positioning themselves for longer-term relevance and success in an increasingly digital financial world.
    Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Our customers seek to be informed, guided and cared for.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In Leech, a parasitic hive mind that infests people discovers another parasitic hive mind that infests people, competing for the same brain space (told in first-person from the POV of the former parasitic hive mind).
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • One of the women surrendered her wedding ring, worth an estimated $7,000, and the robber told the victims to leave the area.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Don't show up and ask someone there to educate you.
    Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The bottom line: The Oregon Health Authority is working to expand peer networks throughout the state, especially in rural communities in the eastern part of the state, to better reach at-risk populations and educate health care providers, while continuing to track its prevalence in the drug supply.
    Meira Gebel, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That likely will not be received well by China, which advised the Trump administration to cancel all China tariffs Wednesday, NPR reported.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The acquisition, advised by Rothschild & Co, is expected to be completed before the end of the month.
    Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Robert King, 35, who was charged with transmitting interstate threats in federal court on Monday, was ordered to stay in detention by U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver after a hearing in Dallas on Wednesday afternoon, Fox News confirmed.
    Elizabeth Pritchett, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The shift comes after reports that the cuts were ordered by Jeremy Lewin, a close ally of Elon Musk, who now oversees USAID under Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This included when one circuit asked fans of Minions: The Rise of Gru to stop throwing bananas (talk about a slippery slope!).
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Her mom has successfully kept her isolated from her grandfather even though Hazel has asked a lot about him and shown interest in getting to know him.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The camera responded instantly to my Alexa voice commands to stream video to an Amazon Echo Show display.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Rema commanded a lively crowd at the Moody Theatre headlining the fourth night of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase at SXSW in Austin.
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instruct. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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