instigate means to bring about by urging or encouraging. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 74 out of 100.
instigate is pronounced /ˈɪnstəɡeɪt/.
Why “instigate” is a great word
INSTIGATE — [Verb] To bring about or urge forward, especially by inciting or provoking to action, often of a negative or disruptive nature. From Latin īnstīgātus, past participle of īnstīgāre ("to urge on, incite, provoke"). First attested in English in the 1540s. Unlike "incite," which directly rouses strong, often violent, feelings, or "initiate," which neutrally denotes a beginning, to instigate is to be the concealed catalyst, the whispered suggestion that sets a darker process in motion. It is the sidelong remark that poisons a committee, the forged document slipped onto a rival's desk, or the anonymous match dropped into tinder-dry grass—the subtle art of crafting a consequence you may never be seen to own.
verb
- To bring about by urging or encouraging.“to instigate a riot”
- To goad or urge (a person) forward, especially to wicked actions.“to instigate someone to a crime”