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Instigate synonyms

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prompt
To remind (a person) of something he or she has forgotten; specif., to help (an actor, etc. who has forgotten a line) with a cue
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  1. To remind (a person) of something he or she has forgotten; specif., to help (an actor, etc. who has forgotten a line) with a cue
  2. To assist with a reminder; remind.
  3. (Comput.) To request a response from (a user) with a prompt
stimulate
To cause to be interested or engaged:
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  1. To cause to be interested or engaged:
  2. To increase temporarily the activity of (a body organ or system, for example).
  3. To cause to desire to have sex; arouse sexually.
induce
(Genetics) To cause an increase in the transcription of the RNA of (a gene).
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  1. (Genetics) To cause an increase in the transcription of the RNA of (a gene).
  2. To bring about or stimulate the occurrence of; cause:
  3. To bring on; bring about; cause; effect
incite
To urge to action; stir up; rouse
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  1. To urge to action; stir up; rouse
  2. To provoke and urge on:
egg on
(Idiomatic) To encourage or coax a person to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.
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  1. (Idiomatic) To encourage or coax a person to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.
excite
(Physiol.) To produce or increase the response of (an organism, organ, tissue, etc.) to a proper stimulus
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  1. (Physiol.) To produce or increase the response of (an organism, organ, tissue, etc.) to a proper stimulus
  2. To elicit or arouse (a reaction or emotion, for example):
  3. To put into motion or activity; stir up
foment
To stir up (trouble); instigate; incite
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  1. To stir up (trouble); instigate; incite
  2. To treat (the skin, for example) by fomentation.
  3. To arouse or incite (trouble, for example).
galvanize
To apply an electric current to
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  1. To apply an electric current to
  2. To arouse to awareness or action; spur:
  3. To plate (metal) with zinc, originally by galvanic action
goad
To prod or urge with or as if with a long pointed stick.
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  1. To prod or urge with or as if with a long pointed stick.
  2. To drive with or as with a goad; prod into action; urge on
impel
To force, compel, or urge; incite; constrain
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  1. To force, compel, or urge; incite; constrain
  2. To urge to action through moral pressure; drive:
  3. To push, drive, or move forward; propel
incite
To urge to action; stir up; rouse
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  1. To urge to action; stir up; rouse
  2. To provoke and urge on:
inflame
To cause (the skin) to redden or grow hot, as from strong emotion or stimulants.
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  1. To cause (the skin) to redden or grow hot, as from strong emotion or stimulants.
  2. To arouse to passionate feeling or action:
  3. To become roused, excited, stimulated, etc.
inspire
To give inspiration
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  1. To give inspiration
  2. To arouse or produce (a thought or feeling)
  3. To cause (someone) to have a particular feeling; affect or touch:
motivate
To provide with an incentive or a reason for doing something; impel:
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  1. To provide with an incentive or a reason for doing something; impel:
  2. To animate; to propel; to cause to take action
  3. To cause to be enthusiastic:
move
To stir the emotions:
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  1. To stir the emotions:
  2. To prompt to action; rouse:
  3. To change posture or position; stir:
pique
To arouse; provoke
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  1. To arouse; provoke
  2. To provoke; arouse:
  3. To cause to feel resentment or indignation.
prick
To pierce or puncture something or cause a pricking feeling.
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  1. To pierce or puncture something or cause a pricking feeling.
  2. To cause to feel sharp pain in
  3. To cause to stand erect or point upward:
prod
To urge or stir into action
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  1. To urge or stir into action
  2. To jab or poke, as with a pointed object.
  3. To jab or poke with or as with a pointed stick; goad
prompt
To remind (a person) of something he or she has forgotten; specif., to help (an actor, etc. who has forgotten a line) with a cue
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  1. To remind (a person) of something he or she has forgotten; specif., to help (an actor, etc. who has forgotten a line) with a cue
  2. To move to act; spur; incite:
  3. To move or inspire by suggestion
propel
To push, drive, or impel onward, forward, or ahead
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  1. To push, drive, or impel onward, forward, or ahead
  2. To cause to move forward or onward.
provoke
To stir to action or feeling:
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  1. To stir to action or feeling:
  2. To give rise to; bring about:
  3. To bring about deliberately; induce:
spur
A small ridge that projects sharply from the side of a larger hill or mountain.
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  1. A small ridge that projects sharply from the side of a larger hill or mountain.
  2. To ride quickly by spurring a horse.
  3. To urge (a horse) on by the use of spurs.
stimulate
To cause to be interested or engaged:
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  1. To cause to be interested or engaged:
  2. To excite or invigorate (a person, for example) with a stimulant.
  3. To increase temporarily the activity of something such as a body organ or system.
trigger
To fire or activate by pulling or pressing a trigger
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  1. To fire or activate by pulling or pressing a trigger
  2. To induce a powerful emotional reaction in, especially by evoking memories of past trauma.
  3. To initiate (an action); set off
work up
To raise; to excite; to stir up.
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  1. To raise; to excite; to stir up.
  2. To develop.
Find another word for instigate. In this page you can discover 31 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for instigate, like: prompt, stimulate, induce, incite, incite, urge, egg on, excite, foment, galvanize and goad.

Sentence Examples

  • He didn't instigate anything—just the opposite.

  • Any of these things can cause enough stress in your cat to instigate fur loss.

  • This certainly isn't an easy task for women who would usually instigate a fight with someone insulting them, and this is why this test is so difficult.

  • Responding to the messages only serves to instigate further contact.Sit with your children as they set up user names, email addresses, passwords, and profiles.

  • Situations may be set up to instigate those reactions, but they are essentially "off the cuff."

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Words that mention instigate in the Dictionary

Words near instigate in the Thesaurus