Deter and Instigate

Opposite meaning words

Deter verb - To steer (a person) from an activity or course of action.

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Instigate is an antonym for deter in check topic.

Instigate verb - To bring (something volatile or intense) into being.

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Deter is an antonym for instigate in influence topic.

people	deter people	instigate people
investigation	deter investigation	instigate investigation
invasion	deter invasion	instigate invasion
rebellion	deter rebellion	instigate rebellion
Other words: war, friends, groups.

Cite this Source

Instigate and Deter. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/deter/instigate

Deter & Instigate. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/deter/instigate>.

Instigate or Deter. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/deter/instigate.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "deter" and "instigate" have occurred on timeline