1
as in reassured
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in supported
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in inspired
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in promoted
to help the growth or development of
asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoked
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in urged
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encouraged
Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Families are free to sit wherever space is available but are strongly encouraged to set up shop in our new Family-Friendly Fun Zone, conveniently located at the Sandcastle Playground, seventeen blocks away.
—Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
That means all in attendance are heavily encouraged to be respectful.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
OpenAI has faced multiple wrongful death lawsuits this year, alleging ChatGPT encouraged users’ delusions, and claiming conversations with the bot were linked to some users’ suicides.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
New Yorkers who have not yet received a seasonal flu shot are still encouraged to do so, with experts saying vaccination can offer protection even later in the season.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Garven encouraged community members who have additional information or believe that Carr harmed them to contact the Cudahy Police Department at 414-769-2260.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 15 Dec. 2025
You are allowed — encouraged, even — to set boundaries, protect your peace, and celebrate in a way that honors your finances, your emotional energy, and your values.
—Essence, 15 Dec. 2025
Rather than instructing children to look outside of themselves to a world filled with cruelty and injustice, we are encouraged to turn inward, to the self, and then smaller still, to the womb of one’s discontent.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Nov. 2025
During the end of the latter track, Lauper encouraged audience members to sing along and brought Salt-n-Pepa onstage to join in.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2025
After graduating from law school, Broder opened a practice as a criminal defense attorney and was likely going to stay on that path had his father not pushed him to go into entertainment and encouraged him to apply for a BA job at Fox, which Broder did and got it.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Those who felt the earthquake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Nov. 2025
In filing the suit, the city was following the lead of Norma Nazario, who, in 2024, sued TikTok and Meta for the wrongful death of her fifteen-year-old son, Zackery, who died surfing, claiming that algorithms encouraged her son to become addicted to the act.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
Anyone who has seen Melodee or may have information about her whereabouts is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office or leave an anonymous tip.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
It was famed British actor Laurence Olivier who encouraged Hopkins to pursue mental health therapy and see a psychiatrist.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Other Inside Trader Joe’s podcast episodes have discussed many of the quirks of the beloved grocery store, like what the bells next to cash registered are for and whether employees are encouraged to flirt with customers.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Families with children and individuals experiencing homelessness are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the centers.
—Verb
The city’s emergency overflow shelter is available to adults over 18, with capacity for dogs in kennels, but the office encouraged people who need a warm place to sleep to seek primary shelters as a first option.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for encouraged
Adjective
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Given the recent weakness in the stock and the broader macro uncertainty, hearing from management left us feeling more reassured in our position.—
Verb
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Black jeans are one of the easiest staples to have in your closet, and Amazon is packed with similar styles inspired by these celebs.—
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Dominique says the city inspired his competitive mentality.—
Verb
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He was eventually promoted to the 53-man roster and played in the final five games of the regular season.—
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He was promoted to Commander in May 2025.—
Verb
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Visit our website What is striking in retrospect is how little resistance Roosevelt’s framing provoked.—
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This, in turn, reinforced Webster’s own initial claim about his fight with the MPD cop—that Rathbun had provoked the encounter by striking him in the head, then lied about it to counter Webster’s righteous assertion of self-defense, resulting in his wrongful conviction.—
Verb
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Fans are urged to wear white at Ford Field.—
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During that visit, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo urged Francis in unusually frank terms to take concrete action.—
Adjective
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Coach Kirby Smart has been unafraid to take calculated risks at critical moments of big games.—
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The only way to stop this is to embolden yourself and build a community that will be unafraid of the challenges — and there will be challenges.—
Adjective
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Here’s a suggested syllabus, from our connoisseur.—
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Customers looking for suggested dates for military or international addresses should visit the USPS holiday shipping page.—
Verb
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As officials worked to dismantle the culture that had been cultivated in Tocorón, Guerrero – who now sat at the helm of the transnational gang – broke out of the prison, along with several other members.—
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Believed in it and cultivated it.—
Cite this Entry
“Encouraged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encouraged. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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