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
Atiabi alleges that the incident took place without her consent and without provocation.
—
Nate Atkins, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Diplomatically, Ankara is likely to continue engaging Tehran in an effort to prevent further incidents, especially those that could be interpreted as deliberate provocations.
—Steve Mollman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Cheng was elected as party chairwoman late last year following a campaign that emphasized the need to temper the island’s provocations against the Communist regime.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Without any provocation, Russian leader Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and has killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Nate Atkins, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Diplomatically, Ankara is likely to continue engaging Tehran in an effort to prevent further incidents, especially those that could be interpreted as deliberate provocations.
—Steve Mollman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Cheng was elected as party chairwoman late last year following a campaign that emphasized the need to temper the island’s provocations against the Communist regime.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Without any provocation, Russian leader Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and has killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocation
Noun
-
There’s a peculiar excitement about snake hunting that’s hard to describe.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
-
After all, progressive candidates have long generated excitement without winning electoral victories.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The core problem, attorney fee incentives, was left untouched.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The incentive structure is based on multiples of five cases from the Criminal Trial Support Unit’s unassigned defendants’ list, where bar advocates can take on five, 10, or 15 such cases for a possible maximum of $7,500 in incentive bonuses — 15 cases at $500 each.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To check whether progesterone was the trigger, the researchers removed the female from the barrier tank and replaced her with conical plastic tubes coated with various chemical stimuli, sliding them into the small holes of the wall divider.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In general, weight loss means less load on your bones, which reduces the stimulus to create new bone cells.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with a noted socialist streak, has proposed a tax increase on New Yorkers making more than $1 million, which critics have cited as the impetus for New York’s wealthiest fleeing the state, and taking their money (and tax revenue) with them.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The impetus was the death of [Fela Kuti drummer] Tony Allen at the very beginning of COVID.—
Jonathan Cohen,
SPIN,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
February 19 – March 20 Soft encouragement wraps around your rough edges.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Dozens of friends and supporters held a march for peace near the Coral Springs Museum of Art, gathering with words of encouragement and calls to condemn the violence.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Most characters aren’t changing, nor are their motivations to change clear to them or novel to us.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
From animal welfare to renewable energy and garment worker wages, the need for change is often well documented, and the tools are there, but the motivation is lacking.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While activities that engage the brain could make sitting for long periods of time less detrimental than, say, watching TV, mental stimulation provides different protection for the brain than physical activity, making both things important, said Oye-Somefun.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
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The new analysis found that Black participants responded slightly better than people of other racial or ethnic groups to ovarian stimulation drugs, and their eggs produced high-quality embryos that could be used for implantation.—
Sarah Elizabeth Richards,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocation. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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