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
The film takes some departures from the visual styles found in Pickford’s other films, invoking an unusual tone of despair while deploying camera angles and lighting akin to German Expressionist cinema.
—
Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Joy invoking a memory of a home warm and wide and sheltering.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The film documents how citizens, journalists, YouTubers, lawmakers and aides spontaneously blocked the troops’ advance, invoking memories of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising 45 years earlier.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
But as the healer grows graver, invoking notions of lust, desire, and indecency, the boys undergo a kind of exorcism.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
The usual assumption has been that if a user overtly instructs AI to act as a delusion-invoking collaborator, the AI simply obeys those commands.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, has raised the possibility of invoking the War Powers Act, a tool that Congress has for reining in the President.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
Trump previously raised the prospect of invoking the Insurrection Act, a centuries-old law, which would allow the deployment of US troops to Minnesota – which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche voiced support for on Sunday.
—Natasha Bertrand, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Martial law, by contrast, refers to military control over civilian functions and is not created by invoking the Insurrection Act, according to legal experts cited by PolitiFact.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Joy invoking a memory of a home warm and wide and sheltering.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The film documents how citizens, journalists, YouTubers, lawmakers and aides spontaneously blocked the troops’ advance, invoking memories of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising 45 years earlier.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
But as the healer grows graver, invoking notions of lust, desire, and indecency, the boys undergo a kind of exorcism.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
The usual assumption has been that if a user overtly instructs AI to act as a delusion-invoking collaborator, the AI simply obeys those commands.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, has raised the possibility of invoking the War Powers Act, a tool that Congress has for reining in the President.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
Trump previously raised the prospect of invoking the Insurrection Act, a centuries-old law, which would allow the deployment of US troops to Minnesota – which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche voiced support for on Sunday.
—Natasha Bertrand, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Martial law, by contrast, refers to military control over civilian functions and is not created by invoking the Insurrection Act, according to legal experts cited by PolitiFact.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invoking
Verb
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The federal agency was tasked with creating and enforcing rules to protect consumers from abusive practices across a range of financial institutions.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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Its acquisition of Calpine closed on January 7, 2026, creating a footprint encompassing 21 nuclear reactors and over 50 natural gas plants.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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TikTok said technical issues are causing posts to take longer to publish and be recommended to users.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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He was also charged with two felony enhancements of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury or death, two felony enhancements for knowing another principal was personally armed with a firearm and one felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What role did the press play in legitimizing American action in the Spanish American War and also bringing it to an end?—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers opposed to the move tore up agenda papers, shouted slogans and blew whistles, bringing proceedings to a halt.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Filling in and fixing scenes during post-production, including generating pick-up shots, continuity breaks, editing and other improvements when the cameras have stopped rolling.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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But there are ways to think about generating what is known as alpha — outperformance of a benchmark — at a broader portfolio construction level, using strategies that involve assets from cash to bonds to commodities.—
Krysta Escobar,Eric Rosenbaum,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Extreme heat fuels out of control bushfires Bushfires, fueled by the soaring temperatures, have menaced towns in the state of Victoria, prompting evacuations as volunteer firefighters attempted to douse flames around homes.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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This shows a willingness to help while prompting a prioritization conversation.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In doing so, something incredible is revealed — the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower will coincide with a total solar eclipse.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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In a telephone call on Saturday, Hennessey estimated that 50 of the paper’s 200 journalists are covering the story daily, doing everything from tracking protests and monitoring immigration enforcement action to covering the significant business impact on the city.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Photos of Macron in his statement shades went viral, spawning countless memes and comments with references to ‘80s films such as Top Gun, Cobra, and Terminator.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
23 Jan. 2026
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Large language models, like Google Gemini and Claude, are continually spawning new iterations.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Japanese astronomers have discovered an extraordinary supermassive black hole in the early universe that is growing at a nearly impossible pace, while producing intense X-ray and radio emissions simultaneously.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Jan. 2026
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Legend has it that because Sirius rises at the same time as the sun during the first half of summer, its brightness adds to the sun's energy, producing additional warmth.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invoking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invoking. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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