instigate

“You always hear, ‘Don’t poke the bear, don’t instigate them,’ but that’s not how you deal with a bully,” Soto-Martínez replied.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

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

The force said it would "instigate investigations if directed by the courts and responsible authorities", adding: "As always, our thoughts are with Oki's family and friends who remain devastated by their loss."

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

To me, it seemed like she had just wanted to instigate something negative.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

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

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

The incident, which Beijing said was instigated by Philippine personnel, sparked a round of condemnation from Manila's allies.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

At 4 Nations last February, the Americans traveled to Montreal, instigated three fights in the first nine seconds in front of a hostile crowd—and emerged victorious.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

“The HCC has instigated a battle with the Kalogeras Sisters fan base, who retaliated in kind and defended themselves against the hate-filled comments and threats directed against them,” according to documents obtained by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026

Lady Jane Franklin, Franklin’s wealthy and determined wife, instigated and even financed several of the searches.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

“It’s the first time that I’m properly going into the genre and embracing it and instigating that work,” Anderson says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Police said that a suspect detained at the weekend over the attack on the 78-year-old former Conservative minister has now been re-arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing or instigating "terrorism".

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

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

“They wanted to find the adults behind the scenes. They thought there must have been a large ring that they could now break up. But there were no adults instigating us.”

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti