Definition of EVOKE

Choose the Right Synonym for evoke

educe, evoke, elicit, extract, extort mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved. educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent. educed order out of chaos evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory. a song that evokes warm memories elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response. careful questioning elicited the truth extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information. extracted a confession from him extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly. extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

evoke or invoke?

Don’t feel bad if you have difficulty remembering the difference between evoke and invoke, as the words are quite similar in many ways and have considerable overlap in meaning. However, the words do differ, and you would not want to substitute one for the other. Invoke is used of putting into effect or calling upon such things as laws, authority, or privilege (“the principal invoked a rule forbidding students from asking questions”). Evoke is primarily used in the sense “to call forth or up” and is often found in connection with such things as memories, emotions, or sympathy.

Examples of evoke in a Sentence

The old house evoked memories of his childhood. His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.

Recent Examples on the Web Not that the new plastic shotshells don’t smell good and evoke the memories, but the old paper shotshells are just a bit better. — Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, "How cleaning your gun can take you on a trip down memory lane," 16 May 2020 Still, citizens have rallied together, evoking the memories of the spirit of community and selfless volunteerism that rose during World War II, which were echoed by the queen. — Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, "As Britain battles a pandemic, a volunteer spirit stirs," 10 Apr. 2020 There's also some Toyota history here, too: the upper greenhouse and side window shape evokes the classic Toyota 2000GT of the 1960s. — Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, "Don’t dismiss the 2020 Toyota Supra just because of the BMW bits," 23 Mar. 2020 Meanwhile, Ampersandist, which evokes the feeling of German blackletter typefaces, is available in only a single style and costs $10. — Klint Finley, Wired, "Buy One of These Fonts—Then Decide If It's Your Type," 9 Mar. 2020 Matthews is white, and the destruction of the three historic black churches evoked memories of civil rights-era terrorism. — CBS News, "Man admits torching African American churches in Louisiana to raise his profile as "black metal" musician, feds say," 10 Feb. 2020 The show is on steadier ground with the band's formation, which, much like the film, evokes the idea of a junior version of The Commitments. — David Rooney, Billboard, "'Sing Street': Theater Review," 17 Dec. 2019 For many people, the tear-down of the first multi-screen complex in the Hartford area evokes memories of movie dates and the dawn of the blockbuster. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, "Movie dates and the dawn of the blockbuster: East Hartford cineplex demolition triggers local memories," 9 Nov. 2019 This evokes memories of the Russian connection in the 2016 election. — The Economist, "The move towards impeachment marks a dangerous shift," 26 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evoke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.