1
as in encourages
to rouse to strong feeling or action
his teasing finally provoked her to anger bees generally will not sting unless they are provoked
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in raises
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
rankings that are sure to provoke an argument among film buffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provokes
The result is a film that provokes thought more than feeling, one that invites discussion, while denying audiences the emotional dimension that might have driven home its relevance.
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Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
But when her latest husband, discord spirit Raksh, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina must clean up his blunder, contend with Marjana’s demands for the truth…and figure out who on her crew is plotting a mutiny.
—Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Storytelling is endlessly contested, and recourse to propaganda provokes resistance and derision.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Mercury in Sagittarius provokes your mind to venture into uncharted territory.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Blue Film provokes and captivates in equal measure, with the naked honesty of a black box off-off-Broadway play.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Through her restraint, Roberts provokes in us some semblance of empathy for her character – in a movie where everyone else is basically monstrous.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Every action provokes a reaction.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After a sleepy start to the second half at Old Trafford, the arrival of Benjamin Sesko, and the relocation of Cunha into a deeper position, provokes a fresh wave of interest.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provokes
Verb
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Pruning perennials at the right time encourages plants to leaf out, grow bushier, develop sturdier stems, and potentially produce more flowers.—
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Loudermilk says this is just one of the many ways Lions Clubs work to support their communities and encourages anyone interested in joining to reach out.—
Verb
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That extraordinary footage, along with video shot by bystanders and a 3D model created by CNN of the confrontation, shows Good and her wife challenging ICE officers – but also raises new questions about Ross’s tactics and decision to use deadly force.—
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In a statement, Stanford student and Drop the Charges organizer Mark Allen Cu said the case raises broader questions about free speech and dissent on campus.—
Verb
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The viral beauty gadget stimulates collagen, boosts circulation, and leaves you with plump, youthful results.—
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Continuing to seek out mental and social challenges stimulates brain metabolism, neuroplasticity and vascular health, according to Efrati, who also serves as chair of the medical advisory board at Aviv Clinics, which operates in Florida and Tel Aviv.—
Verb
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The Kaizen Approach is a Japanese philosophy that promotes incremental change in organizations at every level.—
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The National Endowment for Democracy, which promotes freedom across Latin America including in Cuba, has named Eddy Acevedo, a longtime expert in Western Hemisphere politics, as its vice president for policy and government relations.—
Verb
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January stirs something brave inside you, urging you to release the tired logic that kept you safe but stagnant.—
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Not an easy topic, and certainly one that stirs emotion today.—
Verb
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If a situation escalates, pressing and holding the SOS button triggers a full safety sequence.—
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The big risk as things stand is that an adversary misreads his mixed signals, oversteps, and triggers an escalation nobody wants.—
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
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The sales pitch rhetoric inspires few.—
Verb
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While the technology behind agents will, no doubt, continue to change and grow, organizations that retain the highest benefits from it are likely to be those that bring people along for the changes technology incites.—
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Until then, the only limits on their selections were Vimeo’s standard terms of service, which prohibit content that incites violence or qualifies as pornographic.—
Cite this Entry
“Provokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provokes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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