instructing

verb

present participle of instruct
1
as in teaching
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field spent his military career instructing young pilots

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in informing
to give information to instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in telling
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the proctors instructed everyone to put their pencils down and hand in their tests

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 instructing Inside were her cell phone, purse, medication, and a note instructing her mother what to do with the vehicle and all her belongings. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Biola University has been instructing students in film and television for a half century, but this week, the school just south of Los Angeles enters a whole new era. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 In the case of existing worms, the software is simply hard-coded to copy itself through computer networks or to spread by instructing infected computers to send emails containing copies of the malware. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 Burki also said when a holding room approaches capacity, an email is sent to field crews instructing them not to bring additional people in. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Lecornu gathered law enforcement officials and government ministers for the emergency meeting, instructing his minister to cancel planned trips until the crisis is sufficiently addressed. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 The city is also instructing developers to design 15% of the units for artist affordable housing. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 University police issued the shelter-in-place order earlier Sunday night, instructing people to close windows and doors, report anything unusual to police and await further directions. — Adam Bednar, Baltimore Sun, 28 Sep. 2026 State legislators passed a law that year instructing the DOC to assess a daily cost to every person behind bars. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructing
  1. teaching
  2. informing
  3. telling
  4. educating
  5. advising
  6. ordering
  7. asking
  8. commanding
Verb
  • Turn that knowledge into teaching moments for the people who lead you.
    — Brian Jenney, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Escobar can begin teaching them letters, syllables and how to put words together.
    — Emily Woodruff, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of teaching
Verb
  • The mass sampling and real-time information gathering on prediction markets can extend their utility to informing business decisions, according to Zitzewitz.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Intarsia cashmere, combinations of leather and chiffon, and silk knitwear are areas of interest, with softness and lightness informing the broader wardrobe.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of informing
Verb
  • Using such guidelines as the standard is reasonable, which is exactly what makes his handling of them so telling.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • One invective accuses the directors of destroying the truth-telling potential of documentary.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of telling
Verb
  • Public schools, meanwhile, must continue educating eligible children in their districts, regardless of how expensive their needs may be.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This includes educating and training thousands of engineers, maritime specialists, nuclear tradespeople and other professionals to support the enterprise across its full lifecycle, as per the release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of educating
Verb
  • Indeed, whether evaluating political rivals or advising on executive decisions, Abigail proved essential to John’s success, securing her legacy as a true Founding Mother.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026
  • However, travelers could still face disruptions on the ground, with the embassy advising Americans to check for Metro station closures and other transportation interruptions before heading out.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of advising
Verb
  • The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult linked to more than 400 deaths was convicted Monday of murdering 190 children and one adult after ordering followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus.
    — Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Last week, Kyiv also accused Washington of ordering restrictions on its Starshield networks, the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink.
    — Elsa Ohlen,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordering
Verb
  • After the shooting took place, the university issued a statement on X asking members of its campus community to stay away from the area.
    — Samantha Cookinham, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The neurologist emphasized that patients should feel comfortable asking questions and getting a second opinion.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of asking
Verb
  • The Eagles then took a commanding 21-0 lead with an accurate 59-yard TD strike from Wilson to four-star wide receiver Julian Caldwell, a Texas Tech commit.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mikhail Shaidorov fell in his biggest competition since winning Olympic figure skating gold, leaving Adam Siao Him Fa with a commanding lead at the Grand Prix de France on Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of commanding

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Cite this Entry

“Instructing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructing. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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