as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction
piquing remarks that were said mainly to get a rise out of the other guests at the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action
their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in priding
to think highly of (oneself)
she piques herself on her considerable musical abilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piquing
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
While the Hoka Bondi 9s are my pick for the best sneakers for pregnancy, here are a few other Hoka favorites to check out if these aren’t fully piquing your interest.
—Olivia Dubyak, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Iconix Brands Group pioneered the approach in the prior decade, piquing the interest of Salter, who iterated on the concept.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Possibly proving the old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity, with the critical response piquing people’s curiosity, All’s Fair launched at #1 on Hulu’s Top 15 and remained in the top spot for the first three days on platform.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Interestingly enough, the tumulus represents a meeting of Roman and Celtic traditions, though, by the looks of it, this funerary monument, possibly attached to a stately though unknown elite, was a symbolic gesture, piquing intrigue and revealing a slice of Roman life rarely seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Romelu Lukaku are piquing interest.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
What that’s code for — and what’s piquing Andrew’s caretaker tendencies along with his pheromones — is a certain kind of big-eyed helplessness.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
While the Hoka Bondi 9s are my pick for the best sneakers for pregnancy, here are a few other Hoka favorites to check out if these aren’t fully piquing your interest.
—Olivia Dubyak, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Iconix Brands Group pioneered the approach in the prior decade, piquing the interest of Salter, who iterated on the concept.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Possibly proving the old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity, with the critical response piquing people’s curiosity, All’s Fair launched at #1 on Hulu’s Top 15 and remained in the top spot for the first three days on platform.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Interestingly enough, the tumulus represents a meeting of Roman and Celtic traditions, though, by the looks of it, this funerary monument, possibly attached to a stately though unknown elite, was a symbolic gesture, piquing intrigue and revealing a slice of Roman life rarely seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Romelu Lukaku are piquing interest.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquing
Adjective
-
Beyond the series’ provocative premise, its most resonant moments belong to Harbour.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There was already this sort of more classical literary style and these more ornate sentences that are doing three different things at once, and some of the playfulness and the provocative and the prurient and the spiritual kind of call to care for the least of the people.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chris Young’s Beyond Earth column explores the intersection of space technology and policy, providing thought-provoking commentary on the latest advancements and regulatory developments in the sector.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The company’s failure to repay billions of dollars of wealth management products unleashed frustration among the lower and middle classes, many of whom had investments wiped out, provoking protests and threatening social stability.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But with a bid to appeal to more women and families, Hooters risks failing to differentiate itself from the dozens of other casual dining chains also priding themselves on being family-friendly, according to Saunders.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
14 Nov. 2025
-
If bookmaking was in theory the keel that kept the ship upright, in practice Bowyer often treated it as another gamble, priding himself on taking bets that his competition wouldn’t touch.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
At a charged political moment, her relatively sober look seemed intended to keep the focus on POTUS.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
-
What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Between parking restrictions and road closures, Boston is encouraging Marathon Monday visitors to walk, bike, take the T — anything but drive — to watch the runners or attend the day’s festivities.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The five-star analyst added that growing demand in scale-up networking is giving confidence in continued strength in future earnings, encouraging investors to look beyond 2027 and factor in these opportunities.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jerry Jones quickly recovered and told a story about Clinton after congratulating him on a recent Forbes article that highlighted his accomplishments.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Please join us in congratulating Christine on this exciting next chapter.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piquing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquing. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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