Converse of object

• ascribe: In this sense, they too hastily ascribe a purely economic motive to the present cultural studies ' boom ' .

• suspect: To be honest, I suspect the motives of people who smile too much.

• expose: He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.

• hide: This novel explores the often hidden motives of those who choose to work for the holiday companies - the reps.

• reveal: Like Flaubert, Eça was concerned with revealing the detailed psychological motives behind his character's behavior.

Adjective modifier

• ulterior: They think I must have an ulterior motive: Why have you come to see me?

• selfish: Work for God must be without any selfish motive or the crown will slip from the hand.

• altruistic: Doctors and lawyers are not driven solely by altruistic motives.

• sinister: Here he is visibly wishing to unmask sinister motives.

• impure: Muhammad's impure motives now threatened his own family!

• unworthy: Unable to put together any sort of defense for an incompetent government, you are forced to invent an unworthy motive for my criticisms.

Modifies a noun

• depot: These terraces were built for the workers at the adjacent Mold Junction motive power depot, closed in 1966.

• power: These terraces were built for the workers at the adjacent Mold Junction motive power depot, closed in 1966.

• force: Higher the shaft, larger cross sectional area, greater the T, greater the motive force, the more air will be moved.

Noun used with modifier

• profit: The profit motive test should not be applied here.

• proton: The energy from the proton motive force is required to prise the ATP from the active center.

• avoidance: Those affected feel that the Revenue is perceiving a tax avoidance motive when the primary reasons for using such structures are commercial.

Preposition: of

• bomber: The Prime Minister's wife famously talked sympathetically about the motives of suicide bombers.

Preposition: for

• killing: But trial judge Mr Justice Richards ruled out a racial motive for the killing.

• murder: But is a jolly good time at new years really enough motive for murder?