as in aggravated
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in triggered
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
rankings that are sure to provoke an argument among film buffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Wasps are territorial creatures that can aggressively defend their nests and protect their young if provoked.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Goodson's death provoked public outrage in Ohio as the killings of Black people by White officers increased demands for police reform following the killing of Floyd by a White police officer in Minneapolis.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
Goodson’s death provoked public outrage in Ohio as the killings of Black people by white officers increased demands for police reform following the killing of Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
However, the secretive nature of his testimony provoked ire among some Democrats.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Seward’s honesty and heartfelt message provoked action.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The Declaration’s insurrectionist contention—that people, when unjustly provoked, have the right to dissolve their government—hung heavily in a country that had just witnessed the eleven states of the Confederacy make the same argument.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchéz, are honorary chairs and lead sponsors of the gala — which has provoked an activist group to call for a boycott of the event.
—Ivy Buck, NPR, 4 May 2026
Verb
Perhaps the Portuguese’s midweek recognition — an accolade Odegaard may have received in 2024 had things ended differently — provoked his inner ego.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Wasps are territorial creatures that can aggressively defend their nests and protect their young if provoked.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Goodson's death provoked public outrage in Ohio as the killings of Black people by White officers increased demands for police reform following the killing of Floyd by a White police officer in Minneapolis.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
Goodson’s death provoked public outrage in Ohio as the killings of Black people by white officers increased demands for police reform following the killing of Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
However, the secretive nature of his testimony provoked ire among some Democrats.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Seward’s honesty and heartfelt message provoked action.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The Declaration’s insurrectionist contention—that people, when unjustly provoked, have the right to dissolve their government—hung heavily in a country that had just witnessed the eleven states of the Confederacy make the same argument.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchéz, are honorary chairs and lead sponsors of the gala — which has provoked an activist group to call for a boycott of the event.
—Ivy Buck, NPR, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
Adjective
-
Under federal immigration law, second‑degree bail jumping is classified as an aggravated felony, a designation that generally bars lawful permanent residents from seeking cancellation of removal and most other forms of relief.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
He was booked into the jail there on suspicion of robbery and aggravated battery, and then in October Lembke was extradited to Idaho and taken into custody at the Ada County Jail.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
-
Residents were encouraged to do a walk-through of their property, looking for potential damage from water or gas leaks.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Starmer confirmed Tuesday that the Labour Party's process for challenging a leader had not been triggered by unified dissent.—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
The light triggered a chemical rearrangement inside the crystal, reshaping its internal architecture and creating tiny cavities capable of trapping water molecules from the air.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
For the past 10 months, since a frustrated Colbert announced the cancellation of the three-decade-old talk show in July 2025, the countdown to his farewell has been looming over Colbert and the whole of the late-night genre like a guillotine with a threadbare rope.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
In Rhode Island, school speech therapist Denise Champney said she’s seen children get so frustrated with the software’s animations and spoken prompts that one punched the screen of his Chromebook.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
When people spend long periods in activities that require very little mental effort, those pathways may not be stimulated in the same way.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The induced impact of our cast and crew spending along with the workers along the supply chain in turn stimulated even more economic growth.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Any Avs postseason game refereed by Kelly Sutherland automatically starts with one eyebrow raised.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
-
Uhrman, who raised two children while building a successful career as a media and entertainment executive, speaks from experience.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
People can get sick after breathing in contaminated particles that get stirred into the air, especially while cleaning or spending time in places where rodents have been active, like sheds, garages, barns, cabins and storage areas.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Adaptogens are everywhere right now — stirred into morning coffee, mixed into mocktails, packed into gummies and even worked into skincare.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
No one person has incited violence, created divisions and preached hatred more than the current resident of the White House.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
That decision incited such a reaction from Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor that she was sent off the pitch after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provoked. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
