provocatively

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of provocatively His decimal-point scores were provocatively precise, calculated to start fights. Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 So far Kremlin commissars have threatened to wage war against two nations—Germany and South Africa—to stave off Putin’s detention, and have even provocatively warned that the headquarters of the ICC, in the Dutch city The Hague, could be blasted by Moscow’s missiles. Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocatively
Adverb
  • The furore surrounding Milan’s decision to play their February Serie A fixture against Como in Australia rudely interrupted what had been a silky smooth start to the season.
    Jack Bantock, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • My mother was kind of rudely serving major MILF tea, right?
    Vincent Perella, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • The veteran of 71 postseason games slid to his left to field it, coolly executing a fundamental throw home to nab Bauers and keep the game tied, 1-1.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The director’s approach is coolly distant and underpowered; even scenes of bloody battle in the ring feel merely informational.
    Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • As if the question arose, thought Leonora scornfully.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Provocatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocatively. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!