MOTIVATES Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

motivates

verb

present tense third-person singular of motivate

as in encourages

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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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 motivates To our guests, thank you for your support and curiosity, which motivates us to keep pushing. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026 Klara serves as a beguiling guide to this dark world, slowly piecing together what motivates humans. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 More than 4,300 people are now on Dion’s Chicago Dream waitlist – a fact that motivates Dawson every day. — Kathleen Toner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 What motivates voters Extensive research confirms the axiom that a sense of civic duty is the strongest predictor of whether someone will vote. — Christopher Miller, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026 Despite his training in fine dining, what motivates him is the warmth and affection of home cooking. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026 The romantic entanglements and recording studio dealings are not what fuels the plot or motivates the characters. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Oct. 2026 For restaurant operators, the findings offer insight into how comfortable solo diners feel and what motivates their visits. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026 Review a prospect’s past giving, volunteer work, board memberships and public interests to understand what truly motivates them. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivates

Verb

Earlier this month, at least eight states sued OpenAI, with Iowa’s lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT gives dangerous medical advice, encourages paranoia and coaches people to hurt others or kill themselves.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
The constraint of the task encourages a deeper looking, and gives us, part of a society suspicious of aimless activity, an excuse to mess around and explore a strange world.

— Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of encourages

Verb

Turkey’s growing hair transplant and restoration industry in particular entices people with easy-to-digest all-inclusive packages advertised on their websites, online placements, and social media.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 23 Sep. 2026
The high-concept thriller stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as a demonic character called The Stranger, who entices a young mother played by Jasmine Trinca into forging a Faustian pact.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of entices

Verb

Some voting laws have changed in Ohio since 2022, including the state eliminating its grace period for receiving mail ballots, a change that forces voters to return those ballots earlier.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
This book forces us to consider how clothing can communicate identity without the body, or gestures, or the visage, but rather through arrangement and spatial orientation.

— Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

Fielder persuades Holmes to watch it for the first time, on a laptop in the couple’s bed.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
While posing artfully in the store’s shop window, Klara catches the eye of Josie (Mia Tharia), who persuades her mother Chrissie (Amy Adams) to buy her as a companion.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of persuades

Verb

As the cooling metal tool depuffs swollen tissues and stimulates microcirculation, the peptide-rich cream works beneath the surface to rebuild structural volume.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Stronger muscles put more tension on the bones, which stimulates greater bone cell turnover.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulates

Verb

While the Blue Demon induces perceptual disorientation, the Rooster privileges visual attention and the architectural discipline of gaze.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
The drug induces a powerful loss of personal identity and a brief but total dissolution of time and space.

— Ryan Sullivan, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of induces

Verb

Along with their organization’s missions, the pair picked horror because of the conversations the genre provokes.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Another question, says Professor Trotti at Ithaca College, is whether a public execution portrays strength or provokes horror.

— Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of provokes

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“Motivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivates. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of motivates

verb

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