motive
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.
None of these middling elements would be particularly grating if it weren’t so apparent that “Cars” had an ulterior capitalist motive.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
District Judge Waverly Crenshaw called out the government’s motive in no uncertain terms.
From Slate • May 28, 2026
A commercial real estate broker, Nick Quackenbos, said the likely motive for such a price hike is plans to scrape the building and build apartments in its place.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Investigators have also been examining what they see as the broader circumstances surrounding Andic's death, identifying a possible motive in the nature of his relationship with Jonathan, particularly in the context of the Mango business.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
It never sounded to me like a likely motive in any case—if someone wanted to punish her for what she’d done back then, they’d have done it years ago.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Vocabulary lists containing motive
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 26, 2020—January 1, 2021
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