1
as in excitement
something that arouses a strong response from another
a patient man who gets angry only from the greatest of provocations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
ready to retaliate at the slightest provocation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provocation
Maybe so, but such moves have been widely perceived as a provocation against Denmark and the United States.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 8 May 2025
What's intriguing about Shopify's provocation is not whether AI can do the job.
—Erica Schoder, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
However, the Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the U.S. and other outside countries to make provocations.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025
But also not helping are the Trump administration’s trade provocations.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
IEEE Spectrum, 8 May 2025
What's intriguing about Shopify's provocation is not whether AI can do the job.
—Erica Schoder, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
However, the Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the U.S. and other outside countries to make provocations.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025
But also not helping are the Trump administration’s trade provocations.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocation
Noun
-
As excitement builds for Culture’s Biggest Night, BET promises more major announcements and surprise performances in the days leading up to the event.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
29 May 2025
-
Todd and Julie's children, Chase and Kyle, additionally shared their excitement about their parent's pardon.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon , Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
The Biden administration sought to encourage manufacturers to build in the United States, but those efforts are still in their early stages, and many of the government incentives are now on the chopping block.—
Dan Gearino,
Wired News,
31 May 2025
-
While Enders’ report accuses Amazon of contributing to the piracy problem, as the owner of its own streaming service, Prime Video, Amazon has an incentive to fight piracy.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
The recordings revealed that AWB and ASH, two neurons that are responsible for making sense of olfactory stimuli, were activated when the corpses and fluids were present, indicating that the worms were smelling the signature of death.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
23 May 2025
-
When we get stung by a wasp, the association between pain and wasps is encoded in the region of the brain called the amygdala, which connects simple stimuli with basic emotions.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
The church declined an interview and did not respond to specific questions about the impetus for the change.—
Lauren Jackson,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
The immigration issue was Worsley’s impetus to enter politics.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
What stuck with her most were the messages of encouragement and the resilience of the kittens themselves.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
26 May 2025
-
In public support of his sister’s health journey, Robert Irwin also took to Instagram to share words of encouragement.—
Sara Vallone,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
The process is also shaped by a long-term signaling process where candidates express interest or withdraw based on personal motivations and interactions with the current leader.—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
Have the Yankees used that fifth inning for motivation or just flushed it?—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocation. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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