How to Use provoke in a Sentence

provoke

verb
Definition of provokenext
Synonyms for provokenext
  • He just says those things because he's trying to provoke you.
  • His remarks provoked both tears and laughter.
  • The animal will not attack unless it is provoked.
  • Pushing the people in your domestic sphere to bend to your will could provoke them to rebel.
    — Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022
  • The story repeated to those in mourning may not provoke a smile.
    — George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022
  • Nor do these early episodes do enough to distinguish the shifting cast of supporting characters, a group that doesn't provoke much more than indifference.
    — Brian Lowry, CNN, 20 Sep. 2022
  • Discovering the costs of our ambitions can provoke serious questions.
    — Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022
  • This has the potential to provoke anxiety, especially as Luna forms a tense square to Mercury.
    — Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022
  • As a result, Iran continued to supply Hezbollah with rockets and missiles to strike and provoke Israel.
    — Ibrahim Al-Marashi / Made By History, TIME, 1 Oct. 2024
  • His pleas for permission to battle the Crabfeeder go ignored, out of fear that this would provoke open war with the powerful Free Cities that fund the warlord’s fleet.
    — Sean T. Collins, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2022
  • Ryo Shinoda, a secretary to Mr. Kihara, said the visit wasn’t meant to provoke China.
    — Joyu Wang, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022
  • In an attempt to provoke his brother into violence, Daemon snuck into King's Landing and stole a dragon egg — but not just any dragon egg.
    — Ryan Parker, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2022
  • Its smell can provoke positive memories and associations.
    — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022
  • Men like Hudner were the exception: someone decent enough to offer a fellow Black aviator a ride, or to step in and throw the first punch when less accepting soldiers try to provoke a brawl.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Sep. 2022
  • This provokes the ire of Tedros, who slaps him hard across the face.
    — Katcy Stephan, Variety, 18 June 2023
  • The moon’s clash with Leo provokes emotional ups and downs.
    — USA TODAY, 9 July 2024
  • The moon’s clash with Mars provokes high-drama moments.
    — USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
  • The second-chorus scene in the hospital nursery, the singer dressed in scrubs and talking with the doctor, provoked some of the tears in the room.
    — Tom Roland, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2023
  • To be provoked at all by Aggro Dr1ft, or Harmony Korine, is to take the bait.
    — John Semley, WIRED, 9 Oct. 2023
  • And Europe’s largest armed conflict since the end of the world war, provoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
  • Provocation Also, ask what makes the pain worse, or provokes it.
    — Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
  • She was conflicted about what to do - whether to cut it off or continue so as not to provoke him.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023
  • The Halloween Tree is a heartwarming and thought provoking story that both kids and adults can learn from.
    — Anna Mahan, Country Living, 29 Aug. 2023
  • The fact that the stone bridge was underwater provokes the question of its preservation.
    — Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 5 Sep. 2024
  • The return to payments is likely to provoke more defaults.
    — Eleni Schirmer, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2023
  • But its run was short-lived, as the ad was subjected to backlash, provoking calls for boycotts and bomb threats against Ikea stores.
    — Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 16 June 2023
  • Start with a cozy cool manicure—and perhaps a sip of the warming latte that provoked the polish job.
    — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Sanford Gifford’s Sketch on the Roman Campagna, a precious gem from 1868, provoked not a peep.
    — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024
  • Your efforts to improve your health could provoke awkwardness with your friends at this time.
    — Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2022
  • Biden's top aides remain skeptical though that deep strikes would do more than provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provoke.' 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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