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
The last step is for that space-faring species to really go for it, sending themselves or their robotic emissaries far and wide, colonizing every available corner of the galaxy, and if they are sufficiently motivated, the Universe.
—
ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
This denial could be motivated by the fear of admitting the presence of beings more advanced and therefore more powerful than us.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
Similar concerns motivated the Obama administration to pursue the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high-standard trade agreement negotiated among 12 countries around the Pacific Rim.
—Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2025
However, the film also remains firmly rooted in the question of what is motivating them to take on this task.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
This denial could be motivated by the fear of admitting the presence of beings more advanced and therefore more powerful than us.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
Similar concerns motivated the Obama administration to pursue the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high-standard trade agreement negotiated among 12 countries around the Pacific Rim.
—Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2025
However, the film also remains firmly rooted in the question of what is motivating them to take on this task.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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To bring in more visitors, Katsuo-ji came up with a creative way to encourage tourists to engage with the Daruma dolls.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
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In the locker room afterward, Staley encouraged players to feel the emotions of defeat, but also to hold their heads up.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Again, this is a case of humans using AI to persuade people to adopt their views rather than an indication that AI is extreme or prone to suggesting extreme ideas and behaviors.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Last week, Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, was at the White House to try to persuade the administration to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta.—
Cecilia Kang,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her story forced the country to confront a flawed legal system and the cultural discomfort with women who challenged it.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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The move, which has already begun, is again forcing the displacement of Palestinian civilians who returned to their homes in northern and southern Gaza strip after the ceasefire was announced in January.—
Barak Ravid,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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One reason is that in order to entice people to buy its stock, a company needs to offer potential shareholders something in return.—
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
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Those touches are some of the reasons that entice fans to buy from brands.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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The collection’s color palette of taupe, beige and white was inspired by Palazzo Pitti, the Renaissance palace in Florence where Brioni first staged a men’s runway show in 1952.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Access to the leaves will stimulate scientific research that will objectively assess coca’s medical and therapeutic potential and benefits, with the ultimate goal of making available for all people a plant that promises to improve their well-being and ease the day-to-day challenges of their lives.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
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As the moon and Mars collide, rushing toward your future stimulates unnecessary stress.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There are two key mechanisms driving this trend, both induced by humanity’s appetite for fossil fuels.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
5 Apr. 2025
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But in the big market downturn induced by President Trump’s tariffs, no Fed rescue is in sight.—
Jeff Sommer,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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