as in creates
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 invokes
The Cheboygan County sheriff's office said any evacuation order will be announced via the Federal Emergency Management Agency alert system that invokes the cell phone Wireless Emergency Alerts system, NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System via radio and television broadcasts.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Collins also invokes Dick Gregory’s late-in-life argument that Black entertainers were burdened by liberation expectations that white male entertainers never had to carry.
—Geoff Bennett, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Nicolao Apollo A name that invokes the Greek and Roman god of sunlight, also associated with prophecy, music, and poetry.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 10 Apr. 2026
Trump invokes the 2024 immunity decision, but are the justices buying it?
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Thomas, like Kluge, is steeped in Kafka, whose fiction the novel repeatedly invokes.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
This population crisis feeds into a post-imperial syndrome, where the decline of empire and power status invokes a sense of loss of self-importance that gives rise to resentment and an unwavering commitment to retain great power status.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Thomas, like Kluge, is steeped in Kafka, whose fiction the novel repeatedly invokes.
—Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
If someone invokes these rights, police are supposed to stop questioning them immediately.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Collins also invokes Dick Gregory’s late-in-life argument that Black entertainers were burdened by liberation expectations that white male entertainers never had to carry.
—Geoff Bennett, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Nicolao Apollo A name that invokes the Greek and Roman god of sunlight, also associated with prophecy, music, and poetry.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 10 Apr. 2026
Trump invokes the 2024 immunity decision, but are the justices buying it?
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Thomas, like Kluge, is steeped in Kafka, whose fiction the novel repeatedly invokes.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
This population crisis feeds into a post-imperial syndrome, where the decline of empire and power status invokes a sense of loss of self-importance that gives rise to resentment and an unwavering commitment to retain great power status.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Thomas, like Kluge, is steeped in Kafka, whose fiction the novel repeatedly invokes.
—Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
If someone invokes these rights, police are supposed to stop questioning them immediately.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invokes
Verb
-
As Mars pushes against Jupiter, doing too much creates confusion.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
The combination creates a vortex effect, which pulls hot ash, embers and debris into a spinning column.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The next step is urgent implementation so this policy creates meaningful change, expands homeownership, generates city revenue, helps schools struggling with enrollment and meets housing needs without harming existing residents.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
These liquids are pumped into a central unit, where a chemical reaction generates electricity.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
That shift brings wiring and connectivity into greater focus within the broader conversation.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
As global warming brings shorter winters and earlier thaws, trees start flowering—and therefore producing pollen—earlier in the spring.—
Keerti Gopal,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In that one, a high-profile divorce case between tech titan Morgan Henderson (West) and international film star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) causes shockwaves.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
In the western hemisphere the hantavirus typically causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a potentially deadly infection.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
In Episode 5, the advent (finally) of a Celebrity Amazing Race prompts her daughter, DJ (Kaitlin Olsen), to strongarm Deborah into participating in the reality show.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
-
The discovery of water in the Shackleton Crater near the lunar south pole subsequently prompts the US to build the Jamestown base, turbo-charging the space race in the process.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
California does a good job verifying its voter rolls, but there’s no harm in requiring an ID provided the requirements don’t create excessive hurdles for those who may not have a driver’s license.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
-
Aub says that in general, curly hair does best with gentle, hydrating formulas that can both cleanse the scalp without sacrificing the integrity of the curl pattern.—
Aimee Simeon,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The computerized analysis produces polygenic risk scores using complex algorithms developed from years of genetic research on large databases.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
6 May 2026
-
This method of risk-reduction produces better results than corporations focusing on a small number of internal programs.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invokes. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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