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.
  • This provokes the ire of Tedros, who slaps him hard across the face.
    — Katcy Stephan, Variety, 18 June 2023
  • One thing is clear though, Musk continues to provoke the ire of the SEC with such statements.
    — Anat Alon-Beck, Forbes, 13 May 2022
  • 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
  • On Bannon’s podcast, Vance said the point of the ad was to provoke criticism.
    — Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 17 Apr. 2022
  • Pushing the people in your domestic sphere to bend to your will could provoke them to rebel.
    — Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022
  • 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
  • The story repeated to those in mourning may not provoke a smile.
    — George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022
  • 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
  • Those who did talk with Variety all agreed that the best defense is to avoid provoking fandoms in the first place.
    — Adam B. Vary, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
  • 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
  • Jennifer's fake emails seemed designed to provoke Lopez to kill Jamie in order to protect her.
    — CBS News, 9 Apr. 2022
  • In other words, hot enough to convince the Russians that the country was not worth the struggle, but not so hot to provoke a broader war in the region.
    — New York Times, 19 Mar. 2022
  • 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
  • But the public perception is that shaming people for their size will provoke them to lose weight.
    — Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 27 July 2022
  • 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
  • Is China willing, much less prepared, to provoke armed conflict with the United States over a co-del?
    — Matthew Continetti, National Review, 30 July 2022
  • Your efforts to improve your health could provoke awkwardness with your friends at this time.
    — Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2022
  • Sarah provokes Bananas and things devolve quickly from there, causing Bananas to just get up and leave.
    — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2023
  • While recent attempts to gin up protests had disappointing results, the next four years will surely provoke the type of outrage that leads citizens to the streets.
    — Ben Krull, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
  • And what Mississippi Today did by exposing the state's rampant welfare fraud, provoking criminal charges — and now a furious legal effort by the ex-governor to expose the sources of the nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom.
    — Jim Vandehei, Axios, 3 Dec. 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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