provoked 1 of 2

adjective

as in aggravated

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provoked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of provoke
1
as in encouraged
to rouse to strong feeling or action his teasing finally provoked her to anger bees generally will not sting unless they are provoked

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2
as in triggered
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being rankings that are sure to provoke an argument among film buffs

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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 provoked
Verb
Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if provoked. — Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026 Venus began her retrograde deep dive in early October, provoked by a sense that something was deeply wrong. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026 The tragedy provoked widespread public grief and anger and was widely seen as the first major test for the Hong Kong government since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 in response to pro-democracy protests. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026 But Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if provoked. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 French’s post provoked social media responses calling for violence against Indians and desecrating Hindu temples. — Arun Brahmbhatt, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026 The Ferrari Luce provoked its own backlash and a storm of online jokes. — Matthew Lynn, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026 Sectarian violence made religious mobilization increasingly unattractive, while foreign occupation provoked an awareness of Iraqi nationhood. — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 Even in a country with one of the highest murder rates in the world, the scale of the killings in such a short space of time has provoked shock. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
  1. aggravated
  2. encouraged
  3. triggered
  4. frustrated
  5. stimulated
  6. raised
  7. tortured
  8. stirred
Adjective
  • The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged him in July 2025 with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Thompson is being held in Escambia County awaiting extradition to Georgia on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Despite their harmless appearance, these exercises encouraged behaviors associated with manipulation and resistance to oversight.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The report detailed the ways in which the app’s user design and promotions encouraged more betting — even after the reporter opted into responsible gaming tools designed to slow users down.
    — Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • The kitchen fire triggered water damage from the restaurant’s sprinkler system that left the place in need of top-to-bottom renovations that went on much longer than expected.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2026
  • However, surging profits have not triggered a wave of new refinery construction.
    — , CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of triggered
Adjective
  • Plenty of others, namely frustrated fans, are pondering the other stuff for him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Middlewood, who is based in Kansas, does not expect frustrated rural voters to shift to the Democratic Party, given how long the state has been a Republican stronghold.
    — Sarah Raza, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • The researchers found that adjusting the concentration of these antigens on the viral structure changed how effectively the vaccine stimulated an immune response.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike collagen, which is more abundant in the skin and can be stimulated as its levels decline with age, elastin is harder to replenish.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulated
Verb
  • The judge also raised concerns the effort would disenfranchise eligible voters and create election chaos.
    — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Koizumi raised concern Thursday about China's increasing naval activity in southwestern Japan.
    — JIM GOMEZ, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of raised
Adjective
  • Our tortured contemporary education is a logical outgrowth of its origin story.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier works tinging with an obscure kind of darkness that hinted at tortured psychological states have all but disappeared from her work and living quarters in lieu of an elegant old world charm.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • The dip can also be mixed with tuna or chicken, used as a burger topping or stirred into egg yolks for a quick egg salad.
    — Beret Leone, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The combination of slow growth, high inflation, profligate spending, and soaring debt has stirred a revolt in financial markets.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of stirred

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Cite this Entry

“Provoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provoked. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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