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
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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
Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
Romelu Lukaku are piquing interest.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquing
Adjective
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These had a whiff of the provocative — often viral — streetwear-leaning creations by Demna.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The video is one of several provocative creations produced in the days since the general purpose video and audio generation system launched.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Even scrambling around, his knee was bothering him.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Throughout the weekend, McIlroy and other European players sparred with fans, provoking the Irish golfer in at least one instance to yell back at the crowd, while others flashed middle fingers in response to the jeers.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
-
There was the invasion, the election deniers, and a leader provoking his audience to do something.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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For context, geomagnetic storms are caused by fiery eruptions from the sun's surface that send charged particles zipping toward our planet.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
20 May 2025
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The ceremony came at a charged moment, coinciding with Columbia University canceling its graduation ceremony (and largely closing off its campus).—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2024
Verb
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Venus is wrapping up in Virgo in your adventure sector, encouraging you to expand through learning, travel, or fresh perspectives.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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Croft urged schools to formally teach digital literacy and parents to reinforce it at home by encouraging keyboard use and balanced screen time.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Elizabeth Warren, who’s from Oklahoma, left me a voicemail the other day congratulating us on our 1 million YouTube subscribers.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
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But none of that mattered when the caps were coming off and Americans were congratulating Europeans.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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A lot of noise around the Chiefs The Chiefs have become a mainstay in NFL discourse by winning three Super Bowls in the Mahomes era, and annoying an endless list of fan bases with their ability to overcome the odds and rally for a late win at an unprecedented rate.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
21 Sep. 2025
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The Sounders’ defenders swarmed Messi from the first minute, and midfielder Obed Vargas was particularly physical, annoying the Argentine icon time and again.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piquing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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