as in evoking
to draw out (something hidden, latent, or reserved)
the role elicited the actress's flair for comedy that previous directors had overlooked
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of eliciting
The Justice Department under President Joe Biden, a Democrat, had proposed to reclassify marijuana, eliciting nearly 43,000 formal public comments.
—
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The efforts to reclassify marijuana The Justice Department under President Biden had proposed to reclassify marijuana, eliciting nearly 43,000 formal public comments.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Warm wood and rattan are juxtaposed with exuberant patterns (think scalloped headboards), and swaths of mirror and brass, eliciting a glamorous but grounded ambiance.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump has floated cuts of this magnitude, eliciting widespread pushback from various pockets of the space community.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
With the ball staying fair — and eliciting an emphatic reaction from Amed Rosario near the Bombers’ bench — the Yankees picked up their first homer of the season and their first runs of the day.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Colorado won the challenge, sending Dan Muse into a tirade on the bench and eliciting the most anger heard from a PPG Paints Arena crowd all season.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Magliano said as the segment kicked off, eliciting laughter from the live audience.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Trump also jokingly compared the US’ surprise strikes on Iran to Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, eliciting an awkward reaction from Takaichi.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The efforts to reclassify marijuana The Justice Department under President Biden had proposed to reclassify marijuana, eliciting nearly 43,000 formal public comments.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Warm wood and rattan are juxtaposed with exuberant patterns (think scalloped headboards), and swaths of mirror and brass, eliciting a glamorous but grounded ambiance.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump has floated cuts of this magnitude, eliciting widespread pushback from various pockets of the space community.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
With the ball staying fair — and eliciting an emphatic reaction from Amed Rosario near the Bombers’ bench — the Yankees picked up their first homer of the season and their first runs of the day.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Colorado won the challenge, sending Dan Muse into a tirade on the bench and eliciting the most anger heard from a PPG Paints Arena crowd all season.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Magliano said as the segment kicked off, eliciting laughter from the live audience.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Trump also jokingly compared the US’ surprise strikes on Iran to Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, eliciting an awkward reaction from Takaichi.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eliciting
Verb
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Bonarowski is Polish-American, de Almeida is Brazilian and Hassler and Shade-Alexander are both American, evoking the multicultural aspects of the opera’s story.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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The new pastel series is a soft yet definitive vision reflecting the Formula 1 watch’s identity, evoking a sense of the collection’s colorful and vibrant heritage — while continuing to build and refine the world of the Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch collection.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Still, the whale’s plight has captured imaginations, even inspiring protests in Germany to urge authorities not to give up on the animal.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
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Architecture & Archaeology The Mundo Maya region has arguably the most impressive archaeological sites in all of the world, rivaling even the awe-inspiring pyramids of Egypt.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eliciting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eliciting. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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