as in creating
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
we should be prepared for the possibility that any solution may invoke another set of problems
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Recent Examples of invoking
At the onset of Cox remarks, a minority of attendees loudly booed his presence, but the governor was able to rally applause by invoking his pleasure to be back at his alma mater.
—
Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Certainly no song of the current moment is invoking this nation as a land of optimism and promise, like Neil Diamond once did.
—Rumaan Alam, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Poulsen has not committed to invoking Article 4 yet.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Plaintiffs argue that the president overstepped his authority by invoking IEEPA to impose the tariffs, and the lower courts agreed.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 23 Sep. 2025
Options for intervention range from monitoring the person or hardening a target like a school, Amman said, or, in more extreme cases, invoking red flag laws or involuntarily committing someone.
—Ian Berry, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Among other things, Marx is invoking the algebraic distinction between known and invariable (constant) and unknown (variable) values.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
But, in our view, invoking slavery as a way to justify the elimination of vaccines and vaccine mandates will accelerate mistrust and present a major threat to public health, especially given existing racial health disparities.
—Stacie Kershner, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
In response, the Biden Administration, invoking the threat posed by the Houthis to freedom of navigation, launched a wave of air strikes on Yemen and dispatched a naval fleet to reopen the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Certainly no song of the current moment is invoking this nation as a land of optimism and promise, like Neil Diamond once did.
—Rumaan Alam, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Poulsen has not committed to invoking Article 4 yet.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Plaintiffs argue that the president overstepped his authority by invoking IEEPA to impose the tariffs, and the lower courts agreed.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 23 Sep. 2025
Options for intervention range from monitoring the person or hardening a target like a school, Amman said, or, in more extreme cases, invoking red flag laws or involuntarily committing someone.
—Ian Berry, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Among other things, Marx is invoking the algebraic distinction between known and invariable (constant) and unknown (variable) values.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
But, in our view, invoking slavery as a way to justify the elimination of vaccines and vaccine mandates will accelerate mistrust and present a major threat to public health, especially given existing racial health disparities.
—Stacie Kershner, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
In response, the Biden Administration, invoking the threat posed by the Houthis to freedom of navigation, launched a wave of air strikes on Yemen and dispatched a naval fleet to reopen the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invoking
Verb
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Empowerment Plan was founded in 2012 to provide jobs to people experiencing homelessness creating coats that turn into sleeping bags.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Since then, Han has continued to build on that momentum, creating a stream of inventive sandwich recipes that have gone viral on TikTok.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Scores of employees put their houses on the market at once, causing prices to drop and sales to slow.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Salmon said his counselor suggested his attraction to men was his father’s fault because his job kept him away from home a lot, causing Salmon to identify more with his mother.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One of the ways automakers are evolving is by bringing new electric vehicles to the market.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Seven of Sunday’s eight penalties were committed by the offense, including four more pre-snap infractions, bringing the season total to 11.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Although no policies were violated, auditors recommended stronger vetting for revenue-generating contracts, which often escape scrutiny.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
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Versant last month filed its first financial reckoning with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and while the breakaway entity is still generating plenty of cash, the flow has been disrupted by the ongoing rash of customer defections.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many affected residents and business owners lacked flood insurance, prompting calls for financial support.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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After a photo of Gilbert showing her inside a crate began to spread online, people reported the vendor to local law enforcement, prompting an evaluation by Warren County Animal Control.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even though Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to give Amorim a full season, and losing to Sunderland was not regarded as terminal, doing so would have brought immense pressure.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Hi hi hello, how is everyone doing on this lovely Sunday?—
Rosalind Bowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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The count of spawning fall-run in the Sacramento River has fallen 95% in 20 years.—
Scott Artis,
Mercury News,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meet Nashville's new crime-fighting Clydesdale Metro Nashville mounted patrol officer Michael Douglas squeezed a three-foot-long rubber chicken, producing an increasingly louder and closer screeching sound to try and provoke a 1,700-pound Clydesdale named Ross.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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In the time since, the Post has shed much of its former staff, some of whom have found success producing the same content on other platforms.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Invoking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invoking. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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