1
as in excitement
something that arouses a strong response from another
a patient man who gets angry only from the greatest of provocations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
ready to retaliate at the slightest provocation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provocation
And while designers like Alexander McQueen pushed theatrical rebellion and Jean Paul Gaultier played with androgyny and provocation, John Richmond has remained deeply intertwined with the pulse of youth culture, making his brand feel authentic at London Fashion Week rather than appropriative.
—
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Ahead of Sunday’s national parliamentary election, a new band of influencers has found a voice among voters by bringing a more youthful edge to the party known for its provocations and controversies.
—Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The flood of orders, and the verbal provocations that accompany them, are part of an early strategy to overwhelm the system with aggressive policy changes and command the national conversation through brute administrative force, Trump allies and insiders say.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
In her debut memoir, No Fault: A Memoir of Romance and Divorce, Haley Mlotek shows how this central incompatibility yields a useful provocation: There are hazards in relying on stories as the prevailing metaphor for one’s romantic experiences, and even one’s life in total.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Ahead of Sunday’s national parliamentary election, a new band of influencers has found a voice among voters by bringing a more youthful edge to the party known for its provocations and controversies.
—Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The flood of orders, and the verbal provocations that accompany them, are part of an early strategy to overwhelm the system with aggressive policy changes and command the national conversation through brute administrative force, Trump allies and insiders say.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
In her debut memoir, No Fault: A Memoir of Romance and Divorce, Haley Mlotek shows how this central incompatibility yields a useful provocation: There are hazards in relying on stories as the prevailing metaphor for one’s romantic experiences, and even one’s life in total.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocation
Noun
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Part of the excitement is fueled by the fact that it will be overseen by none other than the British celebrity makeup artist, Pat McGrath, as the Creative Director of Cosmetics.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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Chilly and windy weather didn’t stop the excitement in the Fort Worth Stockyards on Wednesday morning as Kid Rock rode his horse down East Exchange Avenue.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
New state and federal incentives will pay the bulk of the cost for the upgrade, making this an even more cost-effective choice.—
Ben Roush,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Working with multiple carriers unlocked access to more incentives, bonuses and rewards.—
David Price,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Columbia University Grad Detained by ICE That is more than the popular petition for regular stimulus checks during the COVID pandemice, which had a little more than 3,050,000 signatures at time of publication.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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And, congressional Republicans have in the past expressed their dislike of providing tax cuts such stimulus checks and expanded Child Tax Credit payments to low-income and middle-income households in the past.—
Christian Weller,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Lagarde, now its executive director, founded the initiative in 2010, but its impetus was New Orleans’ long struggle to rebuild and recover from Hurricane Katrina.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
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How that plays out depends on a number of factors, such as where the conflict starts and what the impetus is, which would shape the way all major actors and allies respond to whatever acts as the spark.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Commercial pilot and licensed psychotherapist shares words of encouragement after recent plane crashes Michaela Renee Johnson says fear is a natural response to seeing the recent aviation disasters and shares thoughts on how people can ultimately tackle their fear.—
Ashley J. DiMella Fox News,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
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With his signature goofiness and kindhearted nature, Captain Goof-Beard helps Mickey and his friends on treasure hunts and exciting seafaring quests by providing clues, guidance, and encouragement, all while teaching valuable lessons about teamwork and perseverance.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Parents,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Based on my experience, when this process is delegated to a product UI or AI agent, motivation to respond decreases even more.—
Peter Potapov,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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Recognition continues to be a leading driver of engagement, impacting employee connection, motivation, and pride.—
Bob Helbig,
Hartford Courant,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocation. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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