Meaning & use
instigate
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To cause something to start, usually something troublesome.
Grammar: Takes an object: instigate a fight.
Patterns
- instigate something
- instigate something against someone
Police say two men instigated the brawl outside the stadium.
The leaked memo instigated a bitter dispute.
Who instigated the rumor about the closing?
verbtransitiveliterary
To persuade or push someone into doing something, especially something wrong.
Grammar: Takes a person as an object, often with to: instigated him to rebel.
Patterns
- instigate someone to do something
The leader was accused of instigating the crowd to riot.
Older boys instigated the younger ones into pranks.
She felt someone had instigated him to leave.
Word forms
| third person singular | instigates |
|---|---|
| past tense | instigated |
| past participle | instigated |
| -ing form | instigating |
Common combinations
- instigate a riot
- He was charged with trying to instigate a riot.
- instigate a fight
- The student who instigated the fight was suspended.
- instigate an investigation
- The council instigated an investigation into the contract.
- instigate trouble
- A few agitators tried to instigate trouble.
- instigate reform
- The scandal instigated reform in the department.
Synonyms and how they differ
- provoke
- Provoke focuses on drawing out an angry reaction, while instigate focuses on starting the action.
- incite
- Incite means urging others toward violence or anger, but instigate can describe any starting of trouble.
- initiate
- Initiate is neutral and just means to begin, while instigate usually carries blame.
- trigger
- Trigger suggests setting off a reaction, often accidentally, whereas instigate is usually deliberate.
Opposites
Word family
- instigator noun
- a person who starts trouble
- instigation noun
- the act of starting something
- instigated adjective
- started by someone's urging
Commonly confused: instigate or investigate? instigate or initiate?
instigate vs investigate
Investigate means to examine facts, not start trouble.
instigate vs initiate
Initiate is neutral, but instigate usually suggests stirring trouble.
Practice
The officer said a drunken customer ___ the argument, which then turned violent.
Choose one answer.
Instigated means started it. Investigated would mean looked into it, so it does not fit the person who caused it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “instigate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.