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

Natalie Mering, is kind of an indie darling who’s known for ethereal, ‘70s-evoking songwriting and literary and cultural allusions. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "Sound On: The Best Music of April 2019," 1 May 2019 No one thought it the same, but the flames and smoke evoked similar feelings of grief and loss, and a sense of portent, especially for Catholics, who saw in the destruction a metaphor for—or a judgment of—the state of their church. ... — Peggy Noonan, WSJ, "Out of the Ashes of Notre Dame," 18 Apr. 2019 But viewing the autism spectrum as a matrix of possible traits evokes all the problems of mental health diagnosis, because, to put it simply, everyone has traits. — Alice Bolin, Longreads, "The Daughter as Detective," 26 June 2018 So why would people put up with the discomfort that differences evoke, rather than always selecting the easy reward with sameness? — Leslie Henderson, Scientific American, "Why Our Brains See the World as "Us" versus "Them"," 22 June 2018 In 1939 a 36-year-old Remedios is beginning to work his way up the employment ladder at Bimini — again well evoked, this time by designer Justin Huen. — Daryl H. Miller, latimes.com, "'The Ballad of Bimini Baths' plunges into L.A. history," 15 June 2018 Her saucer-like head has a simple light-up display evoking eyes or bucked teeth, and her tall silhouette, it must be said, has noticeable hips. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Soul of Solo Is a Droid," 27 May 2018 With his mustache and steady stare, Matviak has the look of a kind but stern uncle, and the flat cadence of his voice evokes somebody accustomed to delivering bad news. — Christopher Flavelle, Bloomberg.com, "America’s Last-Ditch Climate Strategy of Retreat Isn’t Going So Well," 2 May 2018 Those elements, combined with an awe-inspiring roster of dark-skinned black models, included a closing look worn by Naomi Campbell, which evoked tears from the audience and was met with industry-wide praise. — Scarlett Newman, Teen Vogue, "Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli on the Importance of Having a Voice in Fashion," 2 Apr. 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.