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
Their presence is an expression of human striving, not political provocation.
—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Even the Tampere Cathedral is a Modernist provocation, with a treatment of the Resurrection by Finnish symbolist Magnus Enckell; a serpent painted into the ceiling; and another painting that depicts death as a kind of caring angel.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
The surprise teaser leans into the film’s overall sense of unexpected provocation, but the release time frame and plot details are still maddeningly opaque.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
The power couple has rarely responded to Trump’s provocations.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Even the Tampere Cathedral is a Modernist provocation, with a treatment of the Resurrection by Finnish symbolist Magnus Enckell; a serpent painted into the ceiling; and another painting that depicts death as a kind of caring angel.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
The surprise teaser leans into the film’s overall sense of unexpected provocation, but the release time frame and plot details are still maddeningly opaque.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
The power couple has rarely responded to Trump’s provocations.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocation
Noun
-
Soldiers on the frontlines have told CNN of their excitement when their unit gets mentioned.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The league would later shift to a no-entry fee policy, which added to the excitement.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Just more incentive to get down the hill as quickly as possible.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
To be eligible for the Spirit Awards, a movie's budget cannot exceed $30 million after tax incentives.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her wildly optimistic logic is that fiscal stimulus will spark growth, and that the private sector will raise long-stagnant wages, thereby increasing tax revenues.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Smart polymers already exist and can respond to such stimuli, altering their color or shape and then returning to their original state.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That impetus brought Lance Hammer back out of the woodwork, a gauntlet thrown to himself to think through problematic contradictions involving the quite different — and often sparring — human verticals of capability, autonomy, and decline.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said, was the impetus for his 2002 album The Rising.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jordan wrapped his arms around Wallace from behind and spoke closely into Wallace's ear in a brief speech of encouragement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Looking for inspirational lessons from elsewhere in the surrounding region doesn’t yield much encouragement.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Heldman and Nicholson’s lucid, intelligent script thus assigns characters very different, more nuanced motivations from those we are used to in iterations of this story.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
All of this raises questions about their motivations, competence and conflicts of interests, which should be squarely prohibited under the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Long takes and static formal frames compel us to stand down stimulation-seeking tendencies.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
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According to a news release, the system can offer red light therapy, molecular hydrogen inhalation, micro-impact vibration and sound therapy with vagus nerve stimulation.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocation. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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