Examples of motivate in a Sentence
No one knows what motivated him to act in such a violent way.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump and the larger Make America Great Again movement remain muscular on other topics that motivate conservatives on immigration, crime and culture war items.
—
Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024
The authors point to President Xi Jinping’s more nationalist stance, as well as instances of Chinese corporate espionage and forced technology transfers that motivated changes in U.S. policy.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 4 July 2024
Images that reveal the costs of climate change can motivate the public to act.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 3 July 2024
The specific start and end times motivate people to buy on whim for fear of missing out, says Thomas.
—Nerdwallet, The Mercury News, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for motivate 
Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024
The authors point to President Xi Jinping’s more nationalist stance, as well as instances of Chinese corporate espionage and forced technology transfers that motivated changes in U.S. policy.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 4 July 2024
Images that reveal the costs of climate change can motivate the public to act.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 3 July 2024
The specific start and end times motivate people to buy on whim for fear of missing out, says Thomas.
—Nerdwallet, The Mercury News, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for motivate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'motivate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near motivate
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
motivate
verb
mo·ti·vate
ˈmōt-ə-ˌvāt 
motivated; motivating
: to provide with a reason for doing something : induce
Medical Definition
motivate
transitive verb
mo·ti·vate
ˈmōt-ə-ˌvāt
motivated; motivating
: to provide with a motive or serve as a motive for
motivate patients to change unhealthy lifestyles
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share