as in to plant
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set
a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 instill
Always showing up is the biggest lesson that my dad instilled in me.
—
Heran Mamo, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
Much of her enthusiasm for flight was instilled by her late father, Harry Spies, a former Marine fighter pilot who took her to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and other fields for aerial shows.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Estancia enters its nonleague game at Artesia (2-3) on Friday bonded by the qualities that Bargas has instilled since his arrival from Newport Harbor in 2007.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Sep. 2025
Reinforcing Values Through Recognition One of the best ways to instill and reinforce values is through recognition.
—Michele Herlein, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instill
Verb
-
Ramírez planted the flag in the infield grass before Slider grabbed it, engaged with a sea of fans who didn’t want to abandon the utopian setting at the ballpark, and then handed it to David Fry.—
-
Divide plants every three to six years, separating the roots into segments that contain three or more shoots.—
Verb
-
Continuity, and a drive to achieve what had slipped away in last year’s finals loss to the New York Liberty, bred a historic season — a Lynx franchise-record 34 wins and a team that led the league in offensive and defensive ratings.—
-
Hotter ocean temperatures breed bigger, more intense storms, which in turn can cause more severe flooding, infrastructure damage and loss of life.—
Verb
-
Notably, said Kriner, individuals who are inculcated with a sense of nihilism do not commit crimes to achieve an ideological goal.—
-
Another important way is to inculcate mindfulness by observing anger as a passing emotion rather than being all consumed by it.—
Verb
-
Anne Morrow Lindbergh embeds wisdom and meditations on age, love, peace, solitude and fulfillment within the relaxing, picturesque setting of the sea.—
-
Leaping boldly is as embedded in Hoda Kotb’s DNA as smiling, loving music and wearing stacks of friendship bracelets.—
Verb
-
Every Democrat voted against rooting that out.—
-
However, fall planting is not recommended for certain types of tender perennials that are easily damaged by cold and require a long period of frost-free weather to root.—
Cite this Entry
“Instill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instill. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share