ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsIinstigate
ISEE/SSAThard
instigate
Meaning: to bring about or initiate, especially trouble
instigate in a sentence
How instigate is used in real sentences:
Rumors on social media instigated a heated argument between the two students.
The coach was accused of instigating the fight between the two rival teams.
“At the council meeting, a brazen critic alleged that the recordings were fabricated and tried to instigate a shouting match.”
— from the passage Voices Across Generations
Synonyms for instigate
Other words for instigate — provoke, incite and trigger — carry the same meaning.
Antonyms of instigate
Words that mean the opposite of instigate:
- quell
- suppress
Where it comes from
From Latin instigare 'to urge on, goad'
Memory hook
IN-STIG-ATE — like sticking a STICK in to poke trouble awake.