unprovoked

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adjective un·pro·voked \ ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt \

Definition of unprovoked

:occurring without any identifiable cause or justification :not provoked

an unprovoked assault/attack

unprovoked anger

Recent Examples of unprovoked from the Web

His largely unprovoked presidential rant on Tuesday instantly sparked an even more intense critique, especially from Republicans.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "America Coming to Grips With an Incorrigible Trump," 16 Aug. 2017
Her family said the squirrel, totally unprovoked, jumped through the air at her and sank its teeth into her arm.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "A bushy-tailed bully is terrorizing humans in a Brooklyn park," 24 July 2017
This time Mr Modi’s government moved to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, rebuffed behind-the-scenes efforts to calm tensions and sent unprovoked blasts of fire across the Kashmir border.

— The Economist, "Hissing cousinsWhy India and Pakistan hate each other," 22 July 2017
A man who stabbed a county mental health worker last year, nearly killing the woman during an unprovoked attack in the Morena area, was sentenced Friday to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

— dana littlefield, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man who stabbed mental health worker in random attack sentenced to prison," 14 July 2017
In 2016, there were 53 unprovoked shark attacks in the United States - none fatal - according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.

— william j. kole, Philly.com, "Afraid of sharks? Asteroids are worse," 26 June 2017
A Fox News reporter who witnessed the attack said Gianforte, completely unprovoked, pushed Jacobs to the ground and punched him.

— Bloomberg.com, "Incoming Lawmaker Gianforte Avoids Jail Time for Reporter Assault," 12 June 2017
The International Shark Attack File records only 63 confirmed, unprovoked attacks in North Carolina waters since 1837.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte man’s video shows shark near shore at Atlantic Beach," 12 June 2017
And the shocking incident spurred the question: why would a teenage girl – seemingly unprovoked – brutally attack a complete stranger?

— the washington post, The Mercury News, "16-year-old girl charged with machete murder of Uber driver," 1 June 2017

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

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