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

In the 1970s and ’80s, with Detroit still dominating the nation’s automobile market, his name evoked images of executive suites, infighting, power plays and the grit and savvy to sell American cars. — Robert D. Mcfadden, SFChronicle.com, "Lee Iacocca, father of the Ford Mustang who later rescued Chrysler, dies at 94," 2 July 2019 With its tobacco haze and cynical scribes, the bureau evoked Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s The Front Page. — Scott Sherman, The New York Review of Books, "A Muckraker’s Progress," 17 June 2019 For Rafael Nadal, a quarterfinal defeat to Novak Djokovic evoked a crumbling dynasty, a nine-time champion relinquishing his crown after a historically dominant stretch. — Stanley Kay, SI.com, "Federer, Nadal Set to Clash in Surreal French Open Semifinal," 4 June 2019 This wonderful idea requires viewers to walk on the images and look down into them, evoking the sensation of hovering 500 feet above the Cuyahoga River in a helicopter. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "Cuyahoga 50 photo shows uncover fresh takes on the recovery of a once combustible river," 30 June 2019 The cover features a photo of a white couple, evoking American Gothic in its artistic regionalism. — Marlo Safi, National Review, "A Raw Look at the New ‘Other Half’," 29 June 2019 The film is set in the 1970s, and evokes that period nicely, by more than just its appropriate needle-drop soundtrack. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Review: ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ is good, dumb fun," 28 June 2019 The film is set in the 1970s and evokes that period nicely, by more than just its appropriate needle-drop soundtrack. — Michael O’sullivan, Houston Chronicle, "‘Annabelle Comes Home’ is good, dumb - and scary - summer fun," 27 June 2019 Whitehead saw himself in the disparate views of Elwood, an optimist who treats Martin Luther King Jr.’s words as gospel, and Turner, a cynic who evokes a rage and disillusionment that will resonate with many readers. — Mitchell S. Jackson, Time, "'I Carry It Within Me.' Novelist Colson Whitehead Reminds Us How America's Racist History Lives On," 27 June 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.