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
After a grim prognosis from a doctor, Sanchez was motivated to stop drinking cold turkey.
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Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 15 Dec. 2024
The slaying of Thompson has gripped the nation as police believe he may have been motivated by ill will towards the health insurance industry.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024
The New York Police Department's Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that Mangione did not appear to have ever been a UnitedHealthcare customer, but may have been motivated by anger toward the health-care industry.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
But overall there is a mass consensus that putting the country under martial law was an inexcusable action, no matter what motivated the president to do so.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for motivate 
Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 15 Dec. 2024
The slaying of Thompson has gripped the nation as police believe he may have been motivated by ill will towards the health insurance industry.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024
The New York Police Department's Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that Mangione did not appear to have ever been a UnitedHealthcare customer, but may have been motivated by anger toward the health-care industry.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
But overall there is a mass consensus that putting the country under martial law was an inexcusable action, no matter what motivated the president to do so.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for motivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivate
Verb
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Residents and business owners in the area have been encouraged to review their video surveillance and contact police with anything that could be helpful to the investigation.Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Dec. 2024
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For example, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) hosted a 2016 budgeting pilot to encourage participants to keep a budget.Dana Miranda, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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He was released on bail in 2013 after his appellate lawyer, Hubert J. Santos, persuaded a judge during an extended habeas corpus trial that Skakel had been convicted because his trial lawyer, Mickey Sherman, presented the jury with an inexplicably deficient defense.Staff report, Hartford Courant, 26 Dec. 2024
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Perhaps Miller can be persuaded to consider a Furiosa spinoff prestige series for HBO, where the budget goes further and can tell a bigger story set in the aftermath of Fury Road.Mark Hughes, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The law would require ByteDance to sell the app or force Google, Apple and other platforms to stop supporting the app in the United States.Kristian Burt, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
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Something else to watch on a day when the temperature is forecast to be about 60 degrees at game time: The ‘Horns have forced multiple turnovers in eight straight games and are tied with Notre Dame for the nation’s lead with 28 TOs gained, though the Irish have played one less game.Tom Layberger, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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China extends visa-free transit policy China has tripled the amount of time visitors can spend in the country without a visa in yet another move to entice more foreign tourists.Alexandra Banner, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
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Email newsletters are admittedly pretty common, but those that entice audiences to routinely click through and engage with their content are a rare breed.Jodi Amendola, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Advertisement What inspired you to film your special in Hawaii and what started your longtime appreciation for the Aloha State?Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
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Listening to all the ways my clients and colleagues were leveraging AI tools, I became inspired by the possibilities.Melanie Borden, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Lower interest rates typically stimulate economic activity, drive up corporate profits and lift the value of forward-looking assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies.Max Zahn, ABC News, 20 Dec. 2024
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Borrowing costs will go down and corporate investment should be stimulated, which should lead to job creation and boost growth.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This formula's acidic pH level defends against damage induced by hair coloring and heat styling tools.Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Dec. 2024
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Untreated liver inflammation can worsen into cirrhosis and induce the development of tumors.Ingfei Chen, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near motivate
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivate. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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