as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
seeing a Broadway play for the first time was the stimulus for her career in the theater
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Recent Examples of stimulus
The dangling carrot predates the conflict, introduced last year as a stimulus.
—
Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The elements of the model include interpersonal stimuli (between people) or intrapersonal stimuli (within people), environmental stimuli, and marketing stimuli.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Beginning with the stimulus of a cup or two of strong coffee, fifteen-year-old Columbia College sophomore George Templeton Strong started a diary in 1835.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 27 Apr. 2026
The project aims to produce materials that change their mechanical properties and shape in response to external light stimuli.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The elements of the model include interpersonal stimuli (between people) or intrapersonal stimuli (within people), environmental stimuli, and marketing stimuli.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Beginning with the stimulus of a cup or two of strong coffee, fifteen-year-old Columbia College sophomore George Templeton Strong started a diary in 1835.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 27 Apr. 2026
The project aims to produce materials that change their mechanical properties and shape in response to external light stimuli.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stimulus
Noun
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Grace Backian, director of the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center, said that’s largely because there’s no financial incentive for farmers to plant more.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
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Most states have some sort of incentive in place to benefit EV buyers, including tax credits or rebates, or utility rate reductions, according to a 2023 report from the National Conference of State Legislators, a bipartisan nonprofit group for state legislators and their staff.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The lawyers do have a valid point that the state Department of Financial Services can do a better job of regulating auto insurance rates, which everyone agrees are too high and is the main impetus for Hochul’s reforms.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
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Villa could not find any impetus in the second half.—
Tottenham Hotspur,
New York Times,
3 May 2026
Noun
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How To Get Blanket Flower To Bloom Blanket flowers are prolific bloomers and typically require very little encouragement to set flowers.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
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Teachers are meant to be people that students can trust and seek out for mentorship, guidance, and encouragement.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Most Sunday mornings, Charles Woods doesn’t need much motivation for his weekly 40-mile bike ride.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
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Asking a musician about their influences can elicit a boiler plate response revealing little about their mindset and motivations.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stimulus. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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