Synonyms & related words for instigate

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of instigate — including incite, provoke, foment, inspire, arouse, induce. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to instigate

Explore words related to instigate — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include prompt, provoker, rearouse, instigation, inciter, stimulate, commove, encourage. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for instigate

Common synonyms for instigate include incite, provoke, foment, inspire, arouse, induce, agitate, motivate — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does instigate come from?

The word instigate breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root stig-, from Latin stinguo (“prick, goad”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.