1
as in provoked
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraged
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the demagogue's fiery rant incited the crowd to riot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of incited
Kenny said the ongoing beef stemmed from a prior assault in January, in which the man who incited Thursday’s beatdown jumped Pierre.
—
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Like many influencer brands, the launch incited quite a bit of controversy online.
—Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 2 Apr. 2026
That exchange incited a deafening roar from the more than 10,000 fans in attendance.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
The decision incited backlash from right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who called for Prasad’s ouster.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 6 Mar. 2026
Chisholm incited criticism multiple times during the 2025 season while playing for the Yankees.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
That includes the origin story of how the lizard came to be, the creation of that Elio post-credits scene that incited the meme machine, and early test screening reactions that signaled there could be something more to that character.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
What incited this spontaneous staycation?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
Those abuses caused outrage, which incited more protesters to show up.
—Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Like many influencer brands, the launch incited quite a bit of controversy online.
—Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 2 Apr. 2026
That exchange incited a deafening roar from the more than 10,000 fans in attendance.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
The decision incited backlash from right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who called for Prasad’s ouster.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 6 Mar. 2026
Chisholm incited criticism multiple times during the 2025 season while playing for the Yankees.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
That includes the origin story of how the lizard came to be, the creation of that Elio post-credits scene that incited the meme machine, and early test screening reactions that signaled there could be something more to that character.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
What incited this spontaneous staycation?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
Those abuses caused outrage, which incited more protesters to show up.
—Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incited
Verb
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This allegedly provoked a verbal altercation between Patterson and the two customers.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
His capture provoked at least eight highway blockades by criminal groups on the highways surrounding the border city of Reynosa.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Behavior that had long been tolerated, if not encouraged, would no longer be accepted.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
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This paper editorialized in support of that petition and encouraged the state’s attorney to voluntarily step aside.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When people spend long periods in activities that require very little mental effort, those pathways may not be stimulated in the same way.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
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The induced impact of our cast and crew spending along with the workers along the supply chain in turn stimulated even more economic growth.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incited. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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