How to Use provoke in a Sentence

provoke

verb

• He just says those things because he's trying to provoke you.
• His remarks provoked both tears and laughter.
• The animal will not attack unless it is provoked.
• This provokes the ire of Tedros, who slaps him hard across the face.
  — Katcy Stephan, Variety, 18 June 2023
• But the White House fears this would provoke Mr. Putin.
  — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2021
• Is the prize ripe enough to provoke Beijing to start a war?
  — George Calhoun, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2021
• Maybe he was provoked by the color of the girl’s orange skirt?
  — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025
• Think of it this way—the purpose of video content is to provoke, evoke and poke.
  — Jane Hanson, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
• And for those who are better off, that might just provoke a bit of guilt.
  — Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 3 June 2021
• Mace clearly knows how to please—and provoke—people on both sides of the aisle.
  — Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022
• One thing is clear though, Musk continues to provoke the ire of the SEC with such statements.
  — Anat Alon-Beck, Forbes, 13 May 2022
• The moon’s clash with Leo provokes emotional ups and downs.
  — USA TODAY, 9 July 2024
• The moon’s clash with Mars provokes high-drama moments.
  — USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
• And didn’t the rioters provoke all of this by setting Paris aflame?
  — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
• On Bannon’s podcast, Vance said the point of the ad was to provoke criticism.
  — Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 17 Apr. 2022
• Pushing the people in your domestic sphere to bend to your will could provoke them to rebel.
  — Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022
• The second-chorus scene in the hospital nursery, the singer dressed in scrubs and talking with the doctor, provoked some of the tears in the room.
  — Tom Roland, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2023
• To be provoked at all by Aggro Dr1ft, or Harmony Korine, is to take the bait.
  — John Semley, WIRED, 9 Oct. 2023
• And Europe’s largest armed conflict since the end of the world war, provoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
  — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
• Crump has said Blake didn’t provoke police and was trying to break up an argument at the time of the shooting.
  — Joe Walsh, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2021
• And nor is Stanford’s list the only one sure to provoke that reaction.
  — Suzanne Nossel, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
• The story repeated to those in mourning may not provoke a smile.
  — George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022
• Neither coach Gard nor his staff had any intent to provoke or incite any of what took place.
  — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2022
• Neither Coach Gard nor his staff had any intent to provoke or incite any of what took place.
  — Jason Duaine Hahn, PEOPLE.com, 22 Feb. 2022
• Heavy winds that provoke a marine gale warning are the bane of all fishermen.
  — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 26 June 2021
• Provocation Also, ask what makes the pain worse, or provokes it.
  — Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
• She was conflicted about what to do - whether to cut it off or continue so as not to provoke him.
  — BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023
• The move opens the latest chapter amid fears around the world that Russia might invade Ukraine or provoke in some other way.
  — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2022
• Couple that with an alarming increase in misogyny in both politics and the culture at large, and women in the public eye are at constant risk of accidentally provoking these types of hate campaigns.
  — Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 June 2025
• Manage your devices The breakneck speed of technology can activate your stress response, provoking a cortisol/dopamine squirt.
  — Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025