instructed 1 of 2

adjective

as in informed

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instructed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of instruct
1
as in taught
to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field spent his military career instructing young pilots

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

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

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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 instructed
Adjective
Judge William Sullivan denied Reddington’s request for a mistrial but instructed prosecutors to address the issue with their witness. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 The judge denied the motion but instructed jurors to dismiss the comments and sent them home early. — Nbc News, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026 Refusing to step out when instructed can lead to charges like interfering with public duties or resisting detention, even if the underlying stop was for a minor violation. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026 The country has introduced price caps on gasoline and other petroleum products for the first time in decades to prevent costs from soaring, and instructed refiners to divert naphtha exports for domestic use while scrambling to secure alternative oil supplies and shipping routes. — ABC News, 7 May 2026 Its demise has stranded thousands of passengers who have to adjust plans and millions who have tickets for future dates — Spirit canceled all flights, shut down its customer service and instructed customers not to go to the airport. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 2 May 2026 The Plus line consists of food-flavoring essential oils that are pure enough to ingest (only in the instructed amounts). — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026 Workers reported that in early August supervisors cut night shifts and later instructed casual and contract workers not to return. — Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025 The company removed the press release from its website and instructed employees not to mention it again, according to the filing. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
The judge ruled the city is authorized to address the nuisance conditions, either by boarding up buildings or demolishing them, and instructed Olive Park’s owners to reimburse the city for the work. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 The jury in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial did not reach a verdict Tuesday and was instructed by the judge to return to court Wednesday for a fifth day of deliberations. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026 While they were not sequestered for the trial, the jurors have been repeatedly instructed not to research or discuss the case with others since they were empaneled. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026 The next month, senior bank leaders and vice chairs were instructed by human resources not to enter positive feedback about Nallasivan’s performance in the evaluation system, according to the lawsuit. — Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026 Trump made the name change in an executive order signed on Thursday, which instructed the Secretary of the Interior to implement the change within the next 30 days. — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The City Council instructed the city attorney to regulate phenibut, a drug that’s available at gas stations and being abused as a nervous system depressant. — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 The Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor was instructed to file a complaint and seek a review from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 The incident comes days after the judge instructed the jury to disregard another question about religion. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructed
  1. informed
  2. taught
  3. advised
  4. told
  5. trained
  6. educated
  7. briefed
  8. ordered
Adjective
  • Texas weather radar Texas watches and warnings Stay informed.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That means avoiding exaggerated claims, presenting opportunities transparently and ensuring that educational content supports informed decision-making rather than unrealistic expectations.
    — Ramesh Tambe, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of informed
Verb
  • The class begins with incarcerated people being taught general knowledge of the industry.
    — Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Tyx has lived in the Kansas City area for four years and previously taught middle school Spanish.
    — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2025
Definition of taught
Verb
  • Ansari was advised early on by other medical providers to keep Hussain's diagnosis private.
    — Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Travelers are advised to stay aware of their surroundings, avoid displaying signs of wealth and use caution at night, particularly at beaches, bars, transportation centers and on public transit.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of advised
Verb
  • Her parents have been told to prepare for the worst, according to reports.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, told reporters, per NBC, that his client now had enough letters from supporters to fill three banker’s boxes.
    — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of told
Adjective
  • Hundreds of millions of people are using its generative AI tools each week, so people are beginning to tap into the power of these generative pre-trained transformers (GPT) and large language models (LLMs).
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Even trained and experienced guides may violate emotional or interpersonal boundaries of participants, who are in vulnerable and suggestible states brought on by the effects of the drugs themselves.
    — Erica Rex, STAT, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of trained
Verb
  • But these students must also be educated alongside general education peers to meet federal and state class size and inclusivity regulations.
    — Melissa Brown, Chalkbeat, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Under the current Blueprint structure, the individuals making the final decisions on how Carroll County’s children are educated do not live here, do not answer to our voters and cannot be held accountable at the ballot box.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of educated
Verb
  • The purpose of Ratcliffe’s trip to the Russian capital was first reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources briefed on the trip.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sources briefed on the transfer, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, indicate a fee in the region of £4million has been agreed with Hajduk.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of briefed
Verb
  • Schwartz—less than a month into the job—reportedly ordered CDC staff to add an unusual statement onto the CDC’s website for measles surveillance data.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Law enforcements agencies have been ordered to step up security measures to prevent undesirable situations, city police Chief Anek Srathongyoo said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ordered

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Cite this Entry

“Instructed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructed. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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