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spur - 20 thesaurus results
Main Entry: spur
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: incitement, stimulus
Synonyms: catalyst, goad, impetus, impulse, incentive, inducement, motivation, motive, needle*, prick, stimulant, trigger, urge, activation, actuation, excitant, goose*, incitation, turn-on
Antonyms: curb, hindrance
Main Entry: spur
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: incite, prompt
Synonyms: animate, arouse, awaken, countenance, drive, egg on*, exhort, favor, goad, impel, instigate, press, prick, prod, propel, push, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, trigger, turn on, urge, work up, fire up, goose*, key up, put up to, sic
Antonyms: disapprove, discourage, dissuade
Main Entry: abet
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: assist, help in wrongdoing
Synonyms: advocate, back, condone, egg on*, encourage, endorse, goad, incite, instigate, prod, promote, provoke, sanction, spur, support, urge
Antonyms: counter, deter, discourage, frustrate, hinder, hurt, impede, obstruct, resist
Main Entry: accelerate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: increase speed, timing
Synonyms: advance, drive, dust*, expedite, forward, further, gun*, hasten, hurry, impel, precipitate, quicken, railroad*, roll*, spur, step up, stimulate, tool*, fire up, hammer on, lay a patch, lay rubber, make tracks, nail it, open up, peel rubber, put on afterburners, put pedal to metal, rev, rev up, speed up, step on gas
Antonyms: decelerate, defer, hinder, impede, postpone, retard, slow down
Main Entry: actuate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: start a function or action, motivate
Synonyms: activate, animate, arouse, cause, drive, egg on*, energize, excite, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, mobilize, motivate, move, prompt, propel, quicken, rouse, spur, stimulate, turn on*, work up*, fire up, key up, put up to, work into lather
Notes: when something is activated, it is made active; when something is actuated, it is moved to take action (or produce a consequence)
to actuate is a general word meaning 'to set working' and has more to do with mechanical action - while activate is used mainly in scientific expressions
Antonyms: impede, stop
Main Entry: animate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: bring to life
Synonyms: activate, arouse, cheer, embolden, encourage, energize, enliven, exalt, excite, fire, gladden, hearten, impel, incite, inform, inspire, instigate, invigorate, kindle, move, quicken, revive, rouse, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, urge, vivify, inspirit, liven, make alive, revivify, vitalize
Antonyms: deaden, discourage, kill
Main Entry: arouse
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: excite, entice
Synonyms: agitate, alert, animate, awaken, call, challenge, electrify, enliven, foment, foster, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, move, provoke, rally, rouse, send, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, thrill, turn on, warm, whet, whip up, work up, fire up, heat up, wake up, waken
Antonyms: bore, calm, lull, quiet
Main Entry: catalyst
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: something which incites activity
Synonyms: agitator, goad, impetus, impulse, incendiary, incentive, incitement, motivation, reactionary, spark plug, spur, stimulant, adjuvant, enzyme, incitation, radical stimulus, reactant, synergist, wave maker
Antonyms: block, prevention, blockage, preventer
Main Entry: claw
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: nail of animal; tool shaped like nail of an animal
Synonyms: barb, crook, hook, nipper, paw, spur, talon, tentacle, cant hook, clapperclaw, fang, fingernail, grapnel, grappler, manus, nail claw, pincer, retractile, unguis, ungula
Main Entry: egg on
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: push to do something
Synonyms: agitate, arouse, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, goad, incite, instigate, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, rally, spur, stimulate, urge, whip up, sic, stir up
Antonyms: discourage, dissuade, hold back, talk out of
Main Entry: embolden
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: encourage
Synonyms: boost, buoy, cheer, energize, exhilarate, goad, inspire, invigorate, push, rally, reassure, refresh, spur, stir, sway, enhearten, give courage, give pep talk, inspirit, psyche up, revitalize
Main Entry: enforce
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: put a rule, plan in force
Synonyms: accomplish, administer, apply, carry out, coerce, commandeer, compel, constrain, demand, dictate, discharge, drive, effect, egg on*, emphasize, exact, execute, exert, expect, extort, fortify, fulfill, goad, hound, impel, implement, impose, incite, invoke, lash, make, necessitate, oblige, perform, press, prosecute, reinforce, require, sanction, spur, strain, stress, strong-arm, support, urge, whip, wrest, administrate, crack down, dragoon, force upon, insist on, lean on, put into effect, put screws to
Antonyms: abandon, disregard, drop, forego, forget, neglect, overlook, give up
Main Entry: enforcement
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: requirement to obey; implementation of rule(s)
Synonyms: administration, application, coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, execution, imposition, insistence, lash, martial law, obligation, prescription, pressure, prosecution, reinforcement, spur, whip, carrying out, compulsory law, enforcing, exaction, fulfilling, impulsion, necessitation
Antonyms: abandon, disregard, forgetfulness, neglect, renunciation, slight
Main Entry: exhort
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: urge, warn
Synonyms: admonish, advise, beseech, bid, caution, counsel, egg on*, encourage, enjoin, entreat, goad, incite, insist, persuade, plead, preach, press, pressure, prick, prod, prompt, propel, spur, stimulate, call upon
Main Entry: foment
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: instigate, provoke
Synonyms: abet, agitate, arouse, brew, cultivate, encourage, excite, foster, goad, incite, nurse, nurture, promote, quicken, raise, set, spur, start, stimulate, whip up*, fan the flames, set on, sow the seeds, stir up
Antonyms: cease, dampen, discourage, dissuade, stop
Main Entry: gadfly
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: goad; nuisance
Synonyms: annoyance, irritant, pest, prod, spur, energizer, excitant, motivator, mover, stimulator
Main Entry: galvanize
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: inspire, stimulate
Synonyms: animate, arouse, astonish, awaken, electrify, energize, excite, fire*, frighten, invigorate, jolt, motivate, move, pique, prime, provoke, quicken, shock, spur, startle, stir, stun, thrill, wake, zap*, commove, innervate, vitalize
Antonyms: depress, deter, discourage, disparage, dissuade, retard
Main Entry: goad
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: stimulus
Synonyms: catalyst, compulsion, desire, drive, impetus, impulse, incentive, incitement, irritation, lash, lust, motivation, passion, pressure, prod, spur, urge, whip, zeal, impulsion, incitation
Antonyms: deterrent, discouragement, diversion, restraint
Main Entry: goad
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: egg on, incite
Synonyms: animate, annoy, arouse, bully, coerce, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, force, harass, hound, impel, instigate, irritate, lash, move, needle*, press, prick*, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, sound, spark*, spur, stimulate, sting*, tease, thrust, trigger, turn on*, urge, whip*, work up, worry, fire up, goose*, inspirit, key up, put up to, rowel, sic
Antonyms: discourage, dissuade
Main Entry: herd
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: gather; shepherd
Synonyms: assemble, associate, collect, congregate, corral, drive, flock, force, goad, guide, huddle, lead, muster, poke, punch, rally, round up*, run, spur, scare up
Antonyms: disperse, scatter
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