instigate

Abby suspected Reynolds had his own reasons for urging Ned to remove her: to instigate the sale of Fidelity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

"We are against all scenarios that aim to instigate a civil war in Iran, that target ethnic or religious fault lines," Fidan told journalists in Istanbul.

From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026

Nigel Farage needs to instigate an urgent review of his entire Staffordshire operation.

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025

Please instigate a “no call zone” that covers the Dodger bullpen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2025

Did workers, too, ever instigate violence in pursuit of their cause?

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

He instigates them, and pedantically reminds her of the rules, but his surprise and irritation become conflagrations of rage as Fonsia wins hand after hand, remaining placid and mildly abashed at her luck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The gene proved very active in the habenula, a region of the cichlid’s brain that registers fear and instigates movement.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 24, 2024

For any adaptive behaviour associated with consciousness, there could be a nonconscious mechanism that instigates the same behaviour.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 7, 2023

Wombat, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge; she instigates Marion’s return to Indy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2023

It seems to be in the nature of biologic information that it not only stores itself up as energy but also instigates a search for more.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

This would all be pretty underwhelming were it not for the ticketing issues instigated by the club's touting crackdown that has annoyed so many in the fanbase.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

The decade-long episode instigated by Mao in 1966 saw intellectuals brutally targeted as "class enemies" and schools shuttered, setting China back for years in education and development.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

In the most important Phase 3 trials, Zepbound’s highest dose instigated a 20.9% weight loss, while Wegovy’s produced a 14.9% weight loss.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

In some quarters this has instigated an unrealistic disappointment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Lawrence replied defensively that “the radio-sodium experiments were instigated by me alone,” adding, “I did suggest looking for artificial radioactivity this way and actively supervised the experiments.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Kaplan accused her of instigating the investigation, and began to strip her of managerial authority, the complaint says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Across the pond, the people most affected by the unrest, and its instigating events, are not having any of it.

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026

That was held up as a great breach of etiquette, instigating calls for additional officials and even video reviews in a sport where competitors have traditionally called their own fouls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026

The two countries have blamed each other for instigating the fresh fighting, which has spread to nearly every province along their border.

From Barron's ● Dec. 25, 2025

If the tapeworm attaches to the right place in the gut, it can leech vitamin B12 from the victim, instigating a lethal form of anemia.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann