instilled 1 of 2

adjective

as in inculcated

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instilled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of instill
as in planted
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set a charismatic leader who instilled in his followers a passionate commitment to the cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instilled
Adjective
Our mum’s a voracious reader and really instilled reading. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 May 2026 Mika’s mother - a CPA, professor, and philanthropist - instilled in her an early understanding of legacy as something actively lived and carefully protected. — William Jones, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026 But watching Micah Ski definitely just instilled in this deep drive to not be a skier. — Outside Online, 28 Jan. 2026 Pilar, a former Ford Agency model and actress, instilled confidence and poise in her kids from an early age. — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025 Michelle reflected on how both of her parents instilled confidence in her from a young age which unquestionably informs her style sensibility to date. — Essence, 7 Nov. 2025 His mother—central in shaping his early confidence—instilled in him a kind of resilience that would later fuel his global ambitions. — Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 Maye was efficient, didn’t turn the ball over, made plays with his arm and his legs, instilled confidence in his teammates and, most importantly, came away with a 33-27 win in Week 2. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025 Farming and fishing are the islands’ economic drivers, and the urge to leave is so deeply instilled that the diaspora—spread across the United States, Canada, Brazil, and beyond—is estimated to be six times larger than the population of the islands, a mere 244,000 people (and steadily shrinking). — Philip Sherburne, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Verb
There he was routinely beaten, an experience which instilled in him a lifelong fascination with flagellation and pain. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 His dad instilled in him a love of woodworking and coached him and his siblings in baseball and basketball. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026 Jack Wilson, a 12-year major leaguer who also played shortstop, instilled in his son that defense comes first. — ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 On a much larger scale, the pandemic instilled a similar worry in people around the world. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026 But a conversation his grandfather once had with a friend was instilled in Fitzgerald regarding the non-necessity of officially stepping back from one’s career. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 China's growth has been fueled by government funding for companies as well as a culture of innovation and speed the country has instilled in its workers, experts have said. — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 The government’s online announcement of the pilot program included a short video clip from The Jetsons, the 1960s cartoon series that instilled flying cars in the public imagination. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 Crucially — a hard line the late actor instilled from the get-go — each camp is an independent, non-profit organization, relying on private funding to ensure every child and family can take part completely free of charge. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instilled
  1. embedded
  2. planted
  3. ingrained
  4. bred
  5. inherent
  6. rooted
  7. fixed
  8. inculcated
Adjective
  • Native culture is an imbedded fact of Minnesota’s history and now the Indian – a brave, a scout, God forbid somebody’s friend — is gone from the flag.
    — Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
  • The device receives a video feed captured by external smart glasses with an embedded camera.
    — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of embedded
Verb
  • Wilson’s draft night peers await The Bulls rookie planted his flag some time ago.
    — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Last Bison surrounded him with a thicket of acoustic instrumentation, including guitar, banjo, bass, and mandolin, while Fallon, cowboy hat planted firmly on his head, joined the fray with a washboard.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of planted
Adjective
  • Once Eckert authorised a staff member to spy on an opposition, someone more ingrained in the British game should have warned of the potential ramifications.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Often nestled in lush mountains or on a peaceful lake, the bucolic and nature-filled settings of sleep-away camps will always remain ingrained in our memories.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
Definition of ingrained
Verb
  • Game fowl are bred for aggression by definition, said Jenny Berg, California state director of the Humane World for Animals, which worked with Rogers on the bill.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Both The Fallout and My Old Ass were 100 percent bred out of me freaking out and being anxious about something.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of bred
Adjective
  • Quite often, the old pics are dated in their morals and arrive with inherent themes which are more baggage than their worth for the studio when trying to pull in a pluralistic audience.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That experience helped Rhys recognize the inherent volatility of an actor’s career.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of inherent
Verb
  • After it is rooted into the native soil, water the sod deeply and less frequently.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026
  • And the reasons may be rooted as much in Southerners’ attitudes about being overweight as in their diets and exercise patterns.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of rooted
Adjective
  • At Lanternfish, ThayerMahan deployed both fixed and mobile sensing systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Its portfolio spans equities, fixed income, real estate, and renewable infrastructure, all outside Norway.
    — Heidi Taksdal Skjeseth, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fixed
Verb
  • We were constantly informed that our purpose was to become genteel and inculcated in Christian virtue.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
  • Patriotism is a value that an IP-dependent tech company fighting Chinese rivals might well be happy to see inculcated in its employees.
    — Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Definition of inculcated

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Cite this Entry

“Instilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instilled. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of instilled for Spanish Speakers

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