| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | influence, provoke |
| Synonyms: | abet, actuate, add fuel, bring about, egg on, encourage, fire up, foment, goad, hint, impel, incite, inflame, initiate, insinuate, kindle, make waves, move, needle, persuade, plan, plot, prompt, put up to, rabble-rouse, raise, rouse, scheme, set on, spur, start, steam up, stimulate, stir up, suggest, turn on, urge, whip up, work up |
| Antonyms: | halt, prevent, stop |
| Main Entry: | actuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start a function or action, motivate |
| Synonyms: | activate, animate, arouse, cause, drive, egg on, energize, excite, fire up, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, key up, mobilize, motivate, move, prompt, propel, put up to, quicken, rouse, spur, stimulate, turn on, work into lather, work up |
| Notes: | when something is activated, it is made active; when something is actuated, it is moved to take action (or produce a consequence) to actuate is a general word meaning 'to set working' and has more to do with mechanical action - while activate is used mainly in scientific expressions |
| Antonyms: | impede, stop |
| Main Entry: | animate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring to life |
| Synonyms: | activate, arouse, cheer, embolden, encourage, energize, enliven, exalt, excite, fire, gladden, hearten, impel, incite, inform, inspire, inspirit, instigate, invigorate, kindle, liven, make alive, move, quicken, revive, revivify, rouse, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, urge, vitalize, vivify |
| Antonyms: | deaden, discourage, kill |
| Main Entry: | arouse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | excite, entice |
| Synonyms: | agitate, alert, animate, awaken, call, challenge, electrify, enliven, fire up, foment, foster, goad, heat up, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, move, provoke, rally, rouse, send, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, thrill, turn on, wake up, waken, warm, whet, whip up, work up |
| Antonyms: | bore, calm, lull, quiet |
| Main Entry: | begin |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start |
| Synonyms: | activate, actualize, break ground, break the ice, bring about, bring to pass, cause, commence, create, do, drive, effect, embark on, enter on, enter upon, establish, eventuate, found, generate, get going, give birth to, give impulse, go ahead, go into, impel, inaugurate, induce, initiate, instigate, institute, introduce, launch, lay foundation for, lead, make, make active, motivate, mount, occasion, open, originate, plunge into, prepare, produce, set about, set in motion, set up, trigger, undertake |
| Antonyms: | complete, conclude, consummate, end, finish |
| Main Entry: | behind |
| Part of Speech: | preposition |
| Definition: | being the reason for |
| Synonyms: | at the bottom of, causing, concerning the circumstances, initiating, instigating, responsible for |
| Main Entry: | bribe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | request silence, action, or inaction for money |
| Synonyms: | approach, buy, buy back, buy off, coax, corrupt, do business, entice, fix*, get at, get to, grease palm, influence, instigate, lubricate, lure, make a deal, oil palm, pay off, pervert, reward, seduce, soap, square, suborn, sugar, sweeten the pot, take care of, tamper, tempt, tip |
| Main Entry: | drive |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | move or urge on |
| Synonyms: | act upon, actuate, animate, arouse, bulldoze, chase, coerce, compel, constrain, dog*, egg on, encourage, force, goad, goose, harass, hasten, herd, hound, hurl, hurry, hustle, impel, induce, inspire, instigate, kick, lean on, make, motivate, nag, oblige, overburden, overwork, pound, press, pressure, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, put up to, railroad, ride herd on, rouse, rush, send, shepherd, shove, spirit up, spur, steamroll, stimulate, work on, worry |
| Antonyms: | check, curb, discourage, dissuade, halt, repress, retard, stop |
| Main Entry: | egg on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | push to do something |
| Synonyms: | agitate, arouse, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, goad, incite, instigate, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, rally, sic, spur, stimulate, stir up, urge, whip up |
| Antonyms: | discourage, dissuade, hold back, talk out of |