How to Use instruct in a Sentence

instruct

verb
Definition of instructnext
Synonyms for instructnext
  • She instructed us that we were to remain in our seats.
  • The judge instructed the jury that they should disregard the testimony of the last witness.
  • She advised him to instruct a solicitor.
  • Su’s boss instructs her to lie about his whereabouts on calls from both his wife and his mistress.
    — Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Dealers have been instructed to replace the faulty parts free of charge.
    — Rob Wile, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2024
  • The act did, though, instruct the agency to continue to weigh whether to ban menthol.
    — Matthew Perrone, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
  • There was that time, in tee ball, when Wyatt’s teammate out-ran him when the coach instructed the players to run to the fence.
    — Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 17 July 2023
  • Those turning in guns were instructed to have the weapons unloaded and in the trunk of their vehicle.
    — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 5 June 2023
  • Other staffers instructed guests to be careful with tulips placed in the cupholder of each seat until they were asked to.
    — Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
  • In a video shared on the football team's Facebook page, the pastor instructed a player to sit in a large tub full of water.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
  • The police instructed him to get his I.D. card and accompany them to the station.
    — Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
  • You’re instructed to walk down a hall, arriving at the entryway to a home.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
  • The judge then instructed her to answer the yes or no question directly.
    — Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2024
  • Testers were then instructed to, throughout the testing period (which was at least six months), sit, nap, and lie on the couch.
    — Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024
  • Hightower, kneading her right shoulder, instructs her to turn her head to the left and look over her shoulder.
    — Lauren Larson, Men's Health, 25 July 2023
  • Another call came through from Charles, who instructed his younger son to come alone.
    — Michelle Tauber, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2023
  • Taylor does not instruct her clients to take berberine to lower blood sugar or for weight loss.
    — WIRED, 31 July 2023
  • The court sternly instructed BitBoy to cease all future attacks on Moskowitz and his team.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 8 May 2023
  • In a timeless, abundant land of woods, plains and water, a gruff farmer summons a timid teacher to instruct his daughter.
    — Boyd Tonkin, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2023
  • The court of appeals instructed Judge Fischer to address that issue when the case is returned to her.
    — Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023
  • The grand jury will be instructed on the law, vote, and if a majority decides to indict, it’s done.
    — Laura Jarrett, NBC News, 19 July 2023
  • Under the terms of the court order, Cloudflare was instructed last week to hand the site and its inner workings over to Microsoft.
    — Kevin Collier, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023
  • After arriving in Khan Yunis, leaflets fell from the sky instructing them to move again.
    — Victoria Beaule, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2024
  • Mohammad cursed them, instructing them to be careful and to free her hands from behind her back.
    — Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024
  • The nature of the injury was not disclosed and the jury was instructed to consider the messages as background in the trial.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2023
  • His success over the past three starts is a product of a simplified pitch mix, as instructed by the Tigers' coaching staff and advance scouts.
    — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 17 May 2023
  • For example, a male dancer instructs a female dancer to move closer.
    — Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
  • For 45 minutes, the captain of the Harriott II instructed the pontoon boat via the public announcement system to move out of the way, but to no avail.
    — Remy Tumin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Gonzalez was able to find her and get them all out at 5 p.m. At that point, police instructed all businesses to lock up and leave.
    — Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 14 May 2023
  • Millions of Israelis in areas within range of the rocket fire have been instructed to stay close to safe rooms and shelters.
    — Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 11 May 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instruct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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