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
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 Ayer came on board the film after reading Cameron Alexander’s script, which provoked such a strong emotional response that the director couldn’t resist taking the material on. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors said Anthony provoked the confrontation that ended with Metcalf being fatally stabbed in the chest. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 One study, led by Mark Robinson of Intuitive Machines, describes the crater itself and the enormous amount of material thrown across the lunar surface due to the impact that provoked the feature. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Despite their intimidating nature, these wasps are not aggressive toward humans unless provoked. — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026 In the second half, the crowd were provoked a few times by players choosing conservative options with the ball in midfield. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Tran’s dramatic reveal of the book’s true author provoked much controversy at the time. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
  1. aggravated
  2. encouraged
  3. triggered
  4. frustrated
  5. stimulated
  6. raised
  7. tortured
  8. stirred
Adjective
  • 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
  • The court accepted his plea and found Williams guilty of two counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to a news release from the office of the Leavenworth County Attorney.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • He was encouraged to do so by Sadie Sink, who returned to Broadway in 2025 John Proctor is the Villain.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For businesses, flood panels are not only permissible but also encouraged via flood insurance discounts.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • The attack has caused huge disruption to air travel and triggered a wave of cancellations for events taking place in the Saudi capital this week, with the World Petroleum Congress this week most directly impacted.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The crisis was triggered when about 80,000 people poured into the Spanish exclave in late July from neighboring Morocco, driven by rumors online that Spain had opened its border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggered
Adjective
  • The 22-year-old was visibly frustrated and began to yell at his teammates.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Gen Z has become decidedly frustrated with the often prohibitive costs of higher education.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • The treatments also lowered the production of inflammatory signals that cause long-term swelling, and stimulated new blood vessel formation to nourish healing skin.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Serra then analogizes the spatial mediation stimulated by Shift to a verbal operation.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulated
Verb
  • The row reached the competition jury’s press conference the day after the opening ceremony, where a reporter raised the question of historical fact and creative freedom.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Alternatively, funding is raised by high-yield corporate bond issuance or private credit borrowing.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of raised
Adjective
  • 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
  • But this leads to secrets revealed, lies told and tortured confrontations, not just with others but most intensely with himself.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • To English leftist folkies, lately stirred by Bertrand Russell and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the lyric, coming from Dylan, would cut through the anti-Americanism not uncommon in their midst.
    — Sean Wilentz, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Even before its launch, the series stirred spirited discussion from enthusiasts of the book overs Kazan’s decision to center the story’s chilling antagonist Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 2 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 18 Oct. 2026.

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