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
Those who shorted the provocation phase got crushed by the pivot.
—
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
After the school viewing, Noelle avoids eye contact with her mother, which April interprets as a provocation.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
The tone oscillated between humor and provocation.
—Spriha Srivastava, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
Across California, and the nation, citizens and noncitizens alike have reported being beaten and harassed, having guns pointed at them without provocation and being detained without basic rights for days.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
After the school viewing, Noelle avoids eye contact with her mother, which April interprets as a provocation.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
The tone oscillated between humor and provocation.
—Spriha Srivastava, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
Across California, and the nation, citizens and noncitizens alike have reported being beaten and harassed, having guns pointed at them without provocation and being detained without basic rights for days.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocation
Noun
-
Much of the excitement is unfolding along the Nile.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
You’re attracted to someone who feels like peace and excitement all at once.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The official boundaries of the new stadium incentive district have not yet been finalized.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The grocer will also receive a $50,000 retailer incentive bonus.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This suggests the presence of an internal, self-evolving latent variable—independent of external stimuli—that shapes the timing structure of motivation and decision-making.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Feland adds that the additional gravitational load gives an extra stimulus for the bone to build more tissue in people who don’t get that through weight-bearing exercise or resistance training.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The decisive impetus on the material side comes from our shareholder Mitsui Chemical to use sustainable material solutions in these products.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The immediate impetus for the protests was the release by Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism on July 13, 2019 (the day before the protests began), of nearly 900 pages of digital chats between Rosselló and his top aides and cabinet members.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Punk’s response felt less like encouragement and more like a challenge.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Cathleen also acted as dance mistress by demonstrating the steps and helping James provide encouragement and brief explanations for a dance’s historical context.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Brain function and motivation Regular marijuana use affects all areas of brain function, including attention span, memory and motivation, according to Gamberg.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
According to the survey, respondents who reported using AI more frequently worried less about its impact on intelligence and motivation, indicating AI anxiety may resolve over time.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So before jumping into any sort of physical stimulation, focus on mental arousal and set the scene.—
Zahra Thompson,
SELF,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Through this stimulation of the healing processes in soft tissues and bones by acoustic waves, the healing process can be made faster and less painful for patients.—
William Jones,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocation. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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