unprovoked

adjective

un·​pro·​voked ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt 

: occurring without any identifiable cause or justification : not provoked

an unprovoked assault/attack

unprovoked anger

Examples of unprovoked in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like dingoes, sharks rarely attack humans unprovoked, with Australia recording an average of 20 injury-causing shark incidents a year and fewer than three annual deaths, according to the Australian Shark Attack File, far fewer than the number of people who die from drowning and road accidents. —Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026

Residents said Israeli forces fired stun grenades and tear gas in an unprovoked attack. —Toqa Ezzidin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026

Minnesota Democrats quickly accused the ICE officer of committing an unprovoked murder, and bystander videos of the confrontation did little to clear up which narrative is closest to the truth. —Sarah Bedford, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026

The crown jewel of the Constitution entrusts the war power exclusively to Congress because of the propensity of the executive branch for unprovoked aggression to aggrandize power. —Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unprovoked

• choked
• cloaked
• coked
• croaked
• joked
• poked
• smoked
• soaked
• stoked
• stroked
• yoked
• convoked