set in motion

verb

Definition of set in motionnext
as in to stir (up)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for set in motion
  1. provoke
  2. pick
  3. incite
Verb
  • North Korea denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of strong retaliation if provoked.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In 2012 American entrepreneur Russ George spread roughly 100 tons of iron in the North Pacific, provoking international criticism that a commercial venture had begun geoengineering without adequate oversight.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoke
Verb
  • Others in the sales organization picked it up within twenty-four hours of him sharing it in Slack.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, studios seem to be picking works that come with a hungry audience attached but can still exist independent of their roots.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • He was sentenced to six years for inciting terrorism and extremism.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In 2020, following Election Day, a crowd stormed a vote-counting center in Detroit, many incited by online conspiracy theories about election fraud.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of incite
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.

Browse Nearby Words

set in
set in motion
set off
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Cite this Entry

“Set in motion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20in%20motion. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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