as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
seeing a Broadway play for the first time was the stimulus for her career in the theater
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Recent Examples of stimulus
Dubai plans to build a 42-kilometer (26-mile) metro line costing more than $9 billion, providing a major economic stimulus as the emirate tries to shake off the impact of the Iran war.
—
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Built in the 1920s, the Reflecting Pool and its surroundings were comprehensively renovated in 2012, paid for by $34 million in Obama-era stimulus funding.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Although attempts were made to wake her up through verbal and sternal stimuli, her difficulty breathing went unrecognized for 15 minutes.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Being in an unfamiliar place, getting poor sleep, and constant stimuli from lights and noise all contribute to delirium.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Built in the 1920s, the Reflecting Pool and its surroundings were comprehensively renovated in 2012, paid for by $34 million in Obama-era stimulus funding.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Although attempts were made to wake her up through verbal and sternal stimuli, her difficulty breathing went unrecognized for 15 minutes.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Being in an unfamiliar place, getting poor sleep, and constant stimuli from lights and noise all contribute to delirium.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stimulus
Noun
-
There are no performance incentive payments or cost-of-living increase for senior leadership in the current fiscal year, according to a budget overview, and no incentive payments for anyone in the coming fiscal year starting July 1.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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In 2022, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to adopt an equity performance incentive, explicitly holding the system accountable for reaching low-income households, renters, and communities of color.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The freebie was the likely impetus for the big increase in attendance, but Murakami’s slugging surely convinced some fans to come check out the scene on the South Side on a sunny but cool afternoon.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
After a brief interruption due to bad light, Josh Clarkson's late impetus guided New Zealand to a challenging total.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the aftermath, Pollard’s inbox filled with criticisms, encouragement and recommendations.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Arizona’s rapid low-density residential development sprawl is driven by its rabid encouragement of ever more population growth.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Although the trial may have gone in Scott's favor, Gill was highly critical of the Middletown narcotic detective's actions and questioned his motivation.—
Juliet Pennington,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This tax finally gave companies motivation to prioritize accounting for these societal costs.—
Larz May,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stimulus. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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