INSTRUCT Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'instruct' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of instruct are discipline , educate , school , teach , and train . While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching. // instructs raw recruits in military drill

Q: Where would 'discipline' be a reasonable alternative to 'instruct'?

While in some cases nearly identical to instruct , discipline implies training in habits of order and precision. // a disciplined mind

Q: When is 'educate' a more appropriate choice than 'instruct'?

The words educate and instruct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, educate implies development of the mind. // more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

Q: When can 'school' be used instead of 'instruct'?

While the synonyms school and instruct are close in meaning, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master. // schooled the horse in five gaits

Q: When is it sensible to use 'teach' instead of 'instruct'?

The meanings of teach and instruct largely overlap; however, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn. // taught us a lot about our planet

Q: When might 'train' be a better fit than 'instruct'?

Although the words train and instruct have much in common, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view. // trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

instruct

verb

in-ˈstrəkt

Definition of instruct

as in to teach

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field spent his military career instructing young pilots

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to inform

to give information to instructed everyone in the use of the new telephone system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to tell

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the proctors instructed everyone to put their pencils down and hand in their tests

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word instruct different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of instruct are discipline, educate, school, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

Where would discipline be a reasonable alternative to instruct?

While in some cases nearly identical to instruct, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When is educate a more appropriate choice than instruct?

The words educate and instruct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When can school be used instead of instruct?

While the synonyms school and instruct are close in meaning, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is it sensible to use teach instead of instruct?

The meanings of teach and instruct largely overlap; however, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When might train be a better fit than instruct?

Although the words train and instruct have much in common, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

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 instruct The State Department has not released the new training materials, explained what officers are being instructed to do differently or said why appointments had to be postponed while the training was conducted. — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Sprague picked up the final quarter laid out by Reddington, who accused the prosecution of implying that Clancy was instructed to lie about hearing voices. — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 During his rookie season, Fisher instructed the team plane to take off without him when Young was late for a flight. — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 Buckingham is also objecting to instructing on involuntary manslaughter. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instruct

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instruct

Verb

Winner had a choice Johnson lives in Goldston and has taught middle school for about 20 years.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
The couple's home is near the former San Francisco Art Institute, where prominent sculptor Ralph Stackpole taught for decades — leading Gittelsohn to believe the piece may have a connection to him or one of his students.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of teach

Verb

The referendum campaign has fueled debate about Iceland’s place in the world, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told reporters after casting her ballot in the capital on Saturday.

— Reuters, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
Indrika Ratwatte, the acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council that the Kenscoff attack forced more than 2,600 people to flee their homes, many for the second or third time.

— Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of tell

Verb

During the tasting experience, experts will educate attendees on the process and history behind each whiskey.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
As one of the world’s leading manta ray research organizations, The Manta Trust is dedicated to educating and conserving habitats for these majestic creatures.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of educate

Verb

Even though Vaughn's initial plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a mental status exam was ordered, no pretrial tests were done.

— Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
In a similar format to Family Feud, TopClubTen gives you ten top answers, ordered by amount, recency, value, and so on.

— Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of order

Verb

And Dean will be the quintessential Mike, commanding the defense as the green dot.

— Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Nuclear power currently commands more political attention, more corporate investment and more technological hype than at any point in at least three decades.

— Interesting Engineering, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of command

Browse Nearby Words

institutions

instruct

instructed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Instruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instruct. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of instruct

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes