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inciting incident

is not in our dictionary (yet). Here's what it could mean:

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noun

  • In a narrative, the pivotal event or decision that disrupts the protagonist's status quo, setting the main story and central conflict into motion.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though they didn’t find a clear inciting incident, Roberts made it clear Saturday: “There will be no base stealing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

And finally, don’t you just love a familiar, non-threatening protagonist who falls in love with a someone who embodies local virtue thanks to a Christmas adjacent inciting incident?

From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2025

Thesaurus

Possible Synonyms

Words in our thesaurus

other words

  • narrative hook
  • point of attack
  • the moment everything changes
  • the story's spark
  • the domino that falls first

Possible Antonyms

Words in our thesaurus

other words

  • return to normalcy
  • the final chapter
  • the happily ever after

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