instigate
verb (used with object)
to cause by incitement; foment.
has instigated
-
present perfectof instigate (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In some quarters this has instigated an unrealistic disappointment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Since taking a 29% stake in the club two years ago, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has instigated major cost-cutting, including two rounds of redundancies that have cut 450 jobs.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
Her loss has instigated a deep collective grief across Ireland.
From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
He has instigated petty feuds with the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Megan Rapinoe and Colin Kaepernick.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 2, 2020
But Apollo, who has instigated Orestes to this act by his oracle, and Athene, who is invoked as arbitrator—the two deities representing the new paternal order of things—protect him.
From The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State by Friedrich Engels
