incite

verb

in-ˈsīt How to pronounce incite (audio)
Definition of incitenext
1
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to encourage
to rouse to strong feeling or action the demagogue's fiery rant incited the crowd to riot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb incite contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of incite are abet, foment, and instigate. While all these words mean "to spur to action," incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating.

inciting a riot

When could abet be used to replace incite?

In some situations, the words abet and incite are roughly equivalent. However, abet implies both assisting and encouraging.

aiding and abetting the enemy

When would foment be a good substitute for incite?

The meanings of foment and incite largely overlap; however, foment implies persistence in goading.

fomenting rebellion

Where would instigate be a reasonable alternative to incite?

While in some cases nearly identical to incite, instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention.

instigated a conspiracy

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 incite Critics have accused his party, La France Insoumise, (LFI), of seeking to use the unrest to score points in the presidential campaign and of inciting violence. — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Stock futures climbed Wednesday evening following a market sell-off incited by the first Federal Reserve interest rate hike in three years. — Justina Lee,tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 Reportedly, the nation has framed it as a necessary step to counter growing counterspace threats from Russia and China, while Beijing has warned against inciting a space arms race. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026 On that February 17 night, Mourinho suggested Vinicius Jr had incited the incident. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incite
  1. provoke
  2. encourage
  3. stimulate
Verb
  • The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Fortunately, the fake tip didn’t provoke any further actions from the PPD, and was reportedly flagged as spam after being picked up by its safeguards.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoke
Verb
  • Mitte encouraged people to open up with each other and be candid about their feelings.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sepesi hopes the worldwide attention surrounding the Pope's diagnosis will encourage more people to learn about lung cancer.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • The reason progestogen is recommended in women with a uterus is because estrogen can stimulate growth of the uterine lining and increase the risk of endometrial cancer.
    — Shannon Firth, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The glasses project light onto 378 pixels in the implant, which converts those light patterns into an electrical current that stimulates the retina’s bipolar cells.
    — Erica Sweeney, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulate

Browse Nearby Words

incitations
incite
incited
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Cite this Entry

“Incite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incite. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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